Neither Black Nor White

What can you actually understand when you are asked explore a new field, which is very different than the one What can you actually understand when you are asked to explore a new field, which is very different than the one you come from and you are also carrying your own weight? In my approach as an observer, pseudo-anthropologist and of course artist, I came to the field of Lod, and had to discover that I needed a broader view, I needed to look at the whole state of Israel. As you can imagine, a huge realm opened up and I felt the heavy burden on my shoulders which was different than the one I can feel when I handle topics that are geographically, culturally and historically closer to my own reality. I understood quickly that this is a big task for a non-academic person. By speaking with people, I met so many conflicting views and so many possible historical narratives that all seemed to collide with one another. I discovered for myself that the only way I could and for now should handle this was through the words, memories and visions of the people that I had met on my trip through this vast complexity. So this examination and the excerpts that I collected for this sound work, are only pieces of an enormous puzzle that I had started laying out. So when you take my walk „Neither Black Nor White“, you will hear many different voices speak about the country and circumstances they are living in. While following these narrations you walk on a certain path through Lod, from Commando Square to the Old City, maybe as a metaphor to walk from the present into the past, as everything in this country seems to be based on bygone events and happenings, some really long ago, some more recently. Of course, the choices I made are subjective and the frames are set by me. There is a huge amount of opinions, anecdotes and memories that need to be added and I would like to continue collecting. For this audio piece I used my own voice to re-tell the stories also to emphasize the subjectivity and possibly include myself secretly with all my own believes, hopes and wishes. www.sonyaschoenberger.de