Safe Haven: 17 Artists, One Purple House, and the Search for Shelter

In the midst of war, with ballistic missiles falling overhead, 17 Jewish and Palestinian artists came together at the Purple House in Tel Aviv-Yafo to explore something many people urgently need: shelter. The exhibition, Safe Haven, was organized by four Jewish and Palestinian curators – Jonatan Bukshester, Hasan Masri, Einav Mintz, and Anwar Zour. It was their second exhibition together and featured painting, photography, printmaking, digital illustration, embroidery, and installation. Shelter was not the original theme.

The curators had planned an exhibition about partnership, but the day before they were due to publish their open invitation to artists, another round of war with Iran began and millions of people returned to bomb shelters. The group changed direction almost overnight.

"What we're doing here is really unique. The exhibition is in dialogue with reality as it unfolds. The art is not simply commentary, but a product of our lived experience."  — Hasan Masri, director of the Purple House

The curators selected artists through an open call and direct invitations. Their collaboration was not always easy. As a Jewish-Palestinian team, they repeatedly debated their role and the kind of platform they wanted to create.

"Sometimes it feels as though we can read each other's minds, and sometimes we argue for hours. We really learned how to communicate through this process."  — Jonatan Bukshester

For six weeks, the Purple House – a cultural space affiliated with the Jewish-Palestinian movement Standing Together – became home to the exhibition.

The choice of venue carried its own meaning for the curators. Einav Mintz described the Purple House as designed to be inclusive, welcoming, and cozy — but not especially personal, which is part of why a group show like this one, bringing a handful of intimate, individual voices to its walls, felt worthwhile. “It's important to be refreshed during the activism grind,” she said.

Each Thursday, the artworks were accompanied by a different event: a discussion of the soldier in Palestinian art, an evening of dance and sound, video art and protest footage, and a concert of Jewish-Iraqi and Arabic music.

Across the exhibition, the curators noticed a striking difference in how artists approached the idea of shelter. Many of the Jewish Israeli works focused on war's aftermath: destruction, fear for loved ones, and the ways that fear enters family life. The Palestinian works often suggested something more fundamental – the absence of safety itself, and the fear of losing identity, memory, or belonging.

"The artworks all share the same statement: I have no safe haven. Whether it has been destroyed physically or conceptually, or perhaps never existed at all, everyone shares the feeling of being unsafe."  — Jonatan Bukshester

Some works responded directly to recent events. Dror Ouslander created a piece in charcoal and industrial paint following an Iranian missile strike in Be'er Sheva. Hasan experienced the same attack near his family home and watched his parents repair the damage afterward. For him, it was a disorienting reminder that while the curators were exploring the idea of shelter through art, the reality outside kept forcing its way into the exhibition.

Other works approached the theme through beauty and belonging. Mario Marcos's landscapes of Jaffa and Haifa, among Jonatan's favorites, focused not on destruction but on the emotional meaning of place.

The exhibition has ended, but the collaboration has not. When asked whether the four curators now considered themselves an artists' collective, Hasan laughed. "We have a name we use in the group chat, but I'll spare everyone the embarrassment of sharing it. What I do know is that we want to do more. More artists, more cities, more exhibitions, and more discussion—that's the dream." 

Artists featured in the exhibition: Aya Fachar, Ashraf Fawakhry, Gilit Levin Ronen, Galit Barak, Dean Naim, Dalia Hai Echo, Dan Allon, Daniela London Dekel, Dafna Markman Sinamens, Dror Ouslander, Yuval Yitzhak, Lubna Alsana, Lia Dreyfus, Malak Mansour, Mario Marcos, Nadav Teitelbaum-Mizrachi, and Naim Qasim.

About the curators:

Anwar Zour is an actress and creator with a BA in behavioral science, history, and art. Her work connects the world of psychological research with stage performance, in a constant search for ways to turn mental and conscious processes into physical, tangible experiences.

Einav Mintz is from a kibbutz in Sha'ar Hanegev, now living in Tel Aviv. She holds a BFA in fine arts from Bezalel Academy and works as an artist and producer; Safe Haven was her second time curating a show.

Hasan Masri is the cultural director at the Purple House, and also works as a DJ and event producer.

Jonatan Bukshester, 25, is a self-taught artist and curator based in Tel Aviv.

For questions or inquiries about the exhibition, contact mf.tb22@gmail.com