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Ben Baruch Blich

1. Can you shortly present yourself and what you do.

Ben Baruch Blich, ph.d.,  is at present a senior lecturer in the History and Theory Dept.  of Bezalel Art and design Academy in Jerusalem. He is a chief editor of an e-journal Protocols: History and Theory, a member in the International Visual Sociology Association (IVSA) ,in the European Society for the History of Photography(ESHph). In 1989 he was a visiting scholar to the Warburg Institute in London, and in 2002 a guest Professor in the Higher Institute for the Fine Arts (HISK) in Antwerp. His main publication include “Pictorial Realism” in Empirical Studies of the Arts 9.2 (1991), “Natural Kinds as a Kind of Family resemblance” in the Proceedings of the 12th International Wittgenstein Symposium 15 (1988), and “Pictorial Representation and Its Cognitive Status” in Visual Arts Research 15.1 (1989), “The Epistemology of the photographic image”, Photoresearcher no. 8 2005. In the last five years he has lectured on the subjects “Body representations in the Arts”, “visual information”, “The use and abuse of the photomontage: the case of John Heartfield”, “Philosophical questions on Design and Architecture”, in the Van Leer Institute (Jerusalem), in the School of Architecture (Haifa), at the Hebrew University School of Communication (Jerusalem), and has presented papers at various conferences in Nottingham, Prague, Berlin, Kirchberg, London, New York, Vevey, Antwerp, Maastricht, Dublin, Urbino, Vienna, Potsdam.

In the last two years Blich writes 3 books on photography:  ’Photography in conflict: representing political upheavals’; ‘Bodies represented by the Camera’; ‘Amateur photographers during World war 2″.

2. How would you describe the role a young artist today?
Young artists should besides their art creativity, take an active political role in their respective countries. In other words, young artists should learn from artists in ancient Greece, who were an involved citizens and not only creative and innovative citizens. It is expected from a young artist to break through the indifference of our societies vis-a-vis the poor and the deprived, and give a hand to those in constant need. In sum, a young artist should refrain from the romantic image of the detached artist, occupied only with his art, ignoring the hardship of daily life.

3. How do see now and how do you imagine cultural collaborations in the Mediterranean in the future?
Cultural collaborations and mutual exchange of ideas are a must in the ongoing development of art in general, and especially  in cultivating art in the Mediterranean, which unites people with a multicultural historical backgrouund. Without excahnaging odeas and experiences the common ground of the Mediterranean culture might perish. It is, therefore, vital for this particular culture to initaiate ongoing processes of collaborations.

4. Do you think online tools are a good model to start art exchanges in the Mediterranean?
Indeed, as a start the online virtual tools are a good starting point in establishing understanding and mutual experiences. And yet, without having a real down to earth meetings, using the net as the only vehicle would miss the point of cultivating culture.

5. Would you like to give any recommendations to the Emyan network or  the activities we are organising?
My only recommendation is ‘keep on going’ with you idea.