The Infiltrators
Conversation
Oct 28, 2014, 6:30 pm
William P. Kelly Skylight Room (9100)

In Israel, the term “infiltrators” is used to describe the transgression of the country’s political borders in order to commit a terrorist act, while the more general meaning of this term describes the hostile crossing of enemy lines. At present, this term is also commonly used in Israel to refer to Africans who have crossed the border from Africa into Israel; alongside additional terms such as “refugees,” “asylum seekers,” and “immigrant workers,” it plays an important role in the discussion of the status and future of these groups. This panel discussion examines this current situation of “infiltration” through the framework of artistic practice and exhibition making, taking up the recent exhibition “The Infiltrators” at Artport, Tel Aviv, as its point of departure. The discussion will analyze what (if any) impact participatory artistic gestures may have in the face of Israel’s fraught political realities.

Speakers include Anthony Alessandrini (Associate Professor, English, Kingsborough Community College); Christopher Robbins and John Ewing (artists, Ghana ThinkTank), and Maayan Sheleff (curator, The Infiltrators). Moderated by AH student Chelsea Haines.