Common Views: The Water Way
The Water Way is a project by Common Views artists Dan Farberoff and David Behar Perahia and the poet Saad Abu Ghanam. This participatory art project took place in the autumn of 2021, together with the residents of the Bedouin community of Kuseife, as a continuation of a series of projects, which the artists begun in 2019 in the eastern Negev region.
The town of Kuseife is located at the junction of ancient roads linking major cisterns and wells that are the main water sources in the area. The desert water sources and the tradition of water storage are a part of Bedouin heritage. In addition, the desert ways that connect these sources form a central cultural axis in this tradition.
Today, in the face of climate change and increasing desertification, addressing the topics of water and the ways in the desert enables us to reflect on principles of conservation of natural resources and on human-environment relations, also as a means for bringing communities in the region closer. The project included creative activities and environmental education, with groups of school children, women and the elderly. A final community celebration was held for the project participants, the residents of Kuseife and its surrounding area, and for the general public.
We sincerely thank all of our partners on this project:
The poet Saad Abu Ghanam
Khaled Abu Abeid, production assistant
Ali Abu Ajaj, Kuseife’s Cultural Center former director
Ali Abu Alqian (Abu Salah), Kuseife’s Cultural Center interim director
Ibrahim Alamoor, director of the Kuseife’s Cultural Center youth department
Delilah Abu Ajaj, Kuseife’s Cultural Center responsible of women affairs
Jum’a Al-Anami, principal of Abu Wadi School
Ahmad Alamoor, deputy principal of Abu Wadi School
The teaching staff of Abu Wadi School
The students of of Abu Wadi School
The Institute of Education for Sustainability
Manar Elubra, environmental educator
Rima Amrani, environmental educator
Sergei Sukhanov, environmental educator
Safia Morjan, environmental educator
Elham Alkamlat, group facilitator
Ismail Abu Mtar, manager of the Kuseife Seniors Club
The Kuseife Seniors Club members, especially Yosef Abu Ganim and Sabitan Alamoor
Ismail Abu Hajag, head of Kuseife’s branch of the Working and Studying Youth Movement
The young members of the Working and Studying Youth Movement
Eli Shaked, Kuseife’s security officer
Odeh Alamoor, principal of Al Farouk School
Nassar Al-Dada, Middle School Principal, Al Farouk School
Salim and Salah Al-Dada from the Center Carpentry in Kuseife and Zakria Abu Ghanam
Lubna Masudin, calligrapher
Shargi ensemble
Omar Abu Ajaj
Hyssan Al-Sharia
Yair Dalal
Islam Al-Sana of Studio Al-Marsem, graphic design
Abd al-Qader (Abu Madigam) from Magic Touch, Rahat
Abd al-Aziz Nassara, head of Kuseife Council
Khaled Abu Ajaj, deputy head of Kuseife Council
Atid Bamidbar Association
Debbie Golan
Batya Roded
Dr. Irit Carmon Popper
Leah Abir and Lina Sverdlov from the Arad Contemporary Art Center
Or Fruchter, photographer
