Local Nature, World Nature
The selection of nature photography appearing in the exhibitions A Picture of Nature #5 and Wildlife photographer of the year invites us to take a close look at the state of nature in Israel and around the world.
In praise of diversity
Imagine a 1,000-piece puzzle with one piece missing. What if it was 600 pieces?
And what if that puzzle was the wild animals of the world? 60% have become extinct in the last 50 years!
Diverse and complex ecological systems are a vital tool for keeping global warming in check and contending with the climate crisis. The destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats and the extinction of species impair the viability and vigor of flora and fauna populations. Plagues like the Corona virus spotlight the flimsiness of the dividing line between humans and wild animals and the necessity of maintaining healthy ecological systems.
The exhibition A Picture of Nature #5 simulates photographic expeditions by 65 nature photographers through the landscapes of Israel; it enables us to view diverse species and a few of their habitats, and to ask ourselves: how much nature will be left for coming generations? What are the environmental dangers lying in wait? The exhibition invites viewers to a close-up meeting with nature and opens a window on the private worlds of the photographers, those who are drawn to the beauty and stillness of nature in a spirit of fascination, curiosity and wonder. They set out on their quest again and again: in search of mystery and inspiration, and at the same time seeking to raise awareness of a rapidly disappearing world, hoping to bring about change and raise the alarm for vanishing habitats within the unique tapestry of life in Israel.
It’s the only puzzle we have.