In 2012, I graduated from the Holon Institute of Technology, where I studied graphic design. For my final project, I chose to focus on one of my greatest passions — urban exploration (Urbex), a field that was still relatively unknown in Israel at the time.
The original concept was to showcase work by Israeli photographers who document abandoned and preserved buildings across Israel. However, during the development process, my project supervisor challenged me with a simple question: “Why don’t you take the photographs yourself?”
After getting past the usual doubts — not owning a professional camera, not identifying as a photographer, and not knowing where to find abandoned buildings — I decided to step outside my comfort zone. I began researching locations, connected with experienced photographers, and even joined a guided exploration of the abandoned Tel Aviv Dolphinarium.
The final project combines my photography with written text and graphic design. The photographs were printed as individual, unbound pages on thick paper, allowing each piece to stand on its own and be displayed at home using simple paper clips.
Here, I present the completed project in its digital format.
In this booklet, I would like to bring to the public’s attention the concept of urban exploration. While writing these lines, there is no material in Hebrew on the subject, nor an exact definition of the term in Hebrew.
Urbex is, in fact, a historical exploration of a city’s underbelly, a discovery and exposure of hidden places, including abandoned buildings – whether private or public, such as a cinema or hospital – that are not at the center of the public consciousness and are visited by very few people.
I will seek to show the beauty of the abandoned, one that is not necessarily ‘adorned’ with modern art (graffiti), but beautiful in its own right and thanks to the memories it carries.
