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TRAVELLER
TEL AVIV
Down the dusty backstreets south of
the city’s central district, among wig
shops and appliance stores, the hippest
neighbourhood in Tel Aviv awaits the
intrepid cultural tourist.
Once the city’s ‘Electric Garden’,
where workers from the local powerplant
lived, since 2006 Gan Hahashmal,
has welcomed a network of artists
and designers whose cohesive, all-for-
one living style, under the name Gan
Hahashmal Collective, has turned an
uncared-for area into the trendiest place
in town – albeit one that’s still slightly
tatty around the edges.
Where once the street vibe was
fraught, graphic artist Yakir Segev,
and one of the area’s key trailblazers,
attests that “the area has become
somuchmore trendy and relaxed”,
revitalised by an influx of indie arty folk
and their quirky boutiques, cool clubs
and DIY art galleries.
shelter) or offering free photographic
portraits to neighbours, this is an art
community with dirt under its fingernails.
The changes in Gad Hahachmal
reflect a far bigger shift: the remarkable
transformation of Tel Aviv into a must-
visit arts destination. This year has seen
the inaugeration of a newMuseumof
Art, with the world’s largest collection
of Israeli works, while 2012 has been
officially designated the Year of Art’. It
signifies a real determination on the part
Cool Collective
It’s the Year of Art in Israel’s capital and there’s plenty
more to see than just the usual Bauhaus schtick. Discover
an inner-city area where the kibbutz ideal is being revived
WORDS BENJAMIN EVANS | PHOTOS © GILAD KAVALERCHIK/FRAU BLAU
Gan Hahashmal
is home to a young,
trendsetting crowd
Levontin 7 is the
place to head
for a night
of music
Among these is Segev’s own pet
project, Hanina Contemporary Art
(
hanina.org
), a not-for-profit,
kibbutz-style art commune set up to
exhibit talent more experimental and
edgy than is typically found in the swish
galleries on Rothschild Boulevard.
Aside from art shows, it serves as a
cultural centre that helps knit the diverse
local community together.Whether
auctioning lost-and-found objects
(proceeds go to a nearby homeless
of the city tomake its mark as a cultural
powerhouse.
A four-day ArtWeekend – from21-
24 March – will be the highlight of this
period, when the museumwill serve as
the hub for a whirlwind of talks, exhibits,
film screenings, tours and open-air dance
performances. On Thursday 22 March, it
will open around the clock for a 24-hour-
long extravaganza.
Amid all this official activity, taking
a breather in Gan Hahashmal will provide
The street vibe is
casual and friendly
in th rejuvenated
‘Electric’ district
“The area has become somuch
more trendy and relaxed”
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