Guy Raz

Lifeguard Towers - Serial 1

Guy Raz's photographs of lifeguard towers on empty Gaza and Tel Aviv beaches call attention to their shared Mediterranean coastline. The flags atop these structures - rather than indicating safe or unsafe swimming conditions - are declarations of nationality, asserting territorial claims for Israel and Palestine. In their solitariness, the lifeguard towers suggest a series of menacing watchtowers, subverting the benign qualities of the blue skies and picturesque beaches. Nevertheless, as these pictures imply, Gaza and Tel Aviv are linked not only by the same horizon line but by a rich and layered history.

Guy Raz (born 1964) lives in Tel Aviv
"Lifeguard Towers - Serial 1", 2003 (Chromogenic print)
Courtesy Nelly Aman Gallery, Tel Aviv