Lifta, West Jerusalem

Arni Haraldsson's work centres on the contrast between visionary applications of city design and architecture, and the less-than-ideal conditions that comprise the realities of urban life. In Lifta, West Jerusalem different sections of the photograph reveal startling disparities in terms of subject matter. The largely deserted and ruined remains of an Arab village in the foreground, will soon succumb to Israeli plans to build luxury houses. The suburbs of West Jerusalem can be seen in the distance, their buildings blending into the hazy atmospheric background. The modern structures closely follow the contour of the land, seeming to be at one with the landscape. The Arab ruins also seem to mingle with the environment as their ancient interiors are penetrated by trees and vegetation. Through his framing of a place, where ancient and contemporary architectural elements mingle, Haraldsson creates a highly ambiguous statement on the politics of the area.