Course General Description

In the last five decades, the Photography Department at Bezalel has established itself as the most prominent and prestigious photography department in the Middle East, with over 175 students. The department’s geopolitical location in Jerusalem, combined with the fact that it is an integral part of Israel’s leading arts and design institute, have positioned it as a significant and prominent component of the local and international photography field. Graduates of the department include some of the most influential contemporary photographers, individuals who are working internationally in areas including photography, new media, the moving image, and video art.

School General Description

Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design is an academic college of design and art located in Jerusalem, Israel. Established in 1906 by Jewish painter and sculptor Boris Schatz, Bezalel is Israel's oldest institution of higher education. It is named for the Biblical figure Bezalel, son of Uri (Hebrew: בְּצַלְאֵל בֶּן־אוּרִי), who was appointed by Moses to oversee the design and construction of the Tabernacle (Exodus 35:30). The art created by Bezalel's students and professors in the early 1900s is considered the springboard for Israeli visual arts in the 20th century. Bezalel is currently located at the Mount Scopus campus of Hebrew University of Jerusalem, with the exception of the Architecture department, which is housed in the historic Bezalel building in downtown Jerusalem. In 2009 it was announced that Bezalel will be relocated to a new campus in the Russian Compound, as part of a municipal plan to revive Jerusalem's downtown. The new Bezalel campus is planned by the Tokyo-based award-winning architectural firm SANAA.