LandEscape Art Review | Page 8

Land scape
Alicia Shahaf
CONTEMPORARY ART REVIEW
country was the feeling of freedom , freedom of expression , freedom of connection between people . The direct proximity to the people , the lack of formality . 3 years after we came to Israel the Yom Kippur War broke out . Then my parents decided to return to Argentina . Buenos Aires was in a political chaos : the army took over the country , people disappeared , freedom of speech was gone . There was a hard and dark feeling of fear in the streets . You must not talk . We were not allowed to say what we thought . And at the family level - Dad had a massive heart attack . My strong , powerful and revered father was ill , limited . Fear took over me during those years , personally and politically . I was afraid to say out loud what I think . I was afraid that Dad would die . When he died , the world finally collapsed . I was young , very young . And I had to take the role of the responsible adult . Mom began with the first signs of her mental illness . My little sister started the first signs of her eating disorder . Dad built an empire , but without him the economic situation was deteriorating , along with emotionally . We returned to Israel , to the hug of the extended family . During my studies at Camera Obscura I learned to process my personal history to visual art work . I was exposed to photographers who dealt with issues I feel identified . There I started to look for a way to express visually my feelings , my sadness , my angry .