The following series of photographs by Ben Hopper was taken on a construction site in South Tel Aviv. These pictures are the result of an improvised collaboration between a group of Israeli artists and performers. This part of South Tel Aviv borders on the Florentin neighborhood which is considered to be a ‘bohemian’ area, home to a community of young artists. The building under construction in the photographs, between 7-10 stories high, once housed carpentry and glass making workshops, galleries and other spaces, but was evacuated and underwent construction to accommodate new apartments.

The performance event depicted in the series took place on June 14, 2008 and was coordinated by Omer Yechezkel who found the building and came up with the idea of bringing a group of creative people / performers / dancers / circus artists together for an improvised photo shoot. Everyone felt the building was amazing and should be put to use in its ‘empty’ state. The 14th of June was a Saturday which is Shabbat in Israel – that way most of the people (religious or secular) were not at work and the building was accessible (unofficially). All images © copyright of Ben Hopper.

1. From right to left: Ido Cheddar, Sharon Danon, Guy Leon, Maria Fernández, Adam Bezalel

2. Omer Yechezkel.

3. Head-cropped: Omer Yechezkel. Bottom: Adam Bezalel.

4. Top right to left: Sharon Danon, Ido Cheddar. Bottom right to left: Guy Leon, Maria Fernández.

       

5 - 6 Adam Bezalel.

       

7 - 8 Adam Bezalel and Sharon Danon.

       

9 - 10 Ido Cheddar and Omer Yechezkel.

About the Photographer
Ben Hopper is internationally known for his remarkable captures of scenery, movement and mood. He primarily works with magazines; creating conceptual fashion images, portraits of dancers, circus artists, musicians and more. Ben is currently In-House Photographer for The Last Days of Decadence club as well as WHITE MISCHIEF (London, UK).

Current Exhibition
You can see Ben Hopper’s work at the Pangea Project until early June 2010. The exhibition is a collection of 15 Black and White prints (5 limited editions) taken over the last 3 years in Israel, London, France and Switzerland. The pictures involve a mixture of live performance (dance, circus and music), portraits and scenery.

Related links
• Professional Portfolio: see more photos by Ben Hopper.
• Connect with Ben on Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and Flickr.