Roi Kuper’s Ansar series is spread along the hard and exposed concrete wall. The work comprises of 13 color prints taken at the Ktziyot prison, also known as “Ansar”: originally the name of the first prison in Lebanon, borrowed by Palestinian detainees and soldiers.

The Kziyot (Ansar) prison was opened in 1988 with the beginning of the first Intifada and closed during implementations of the Oslo agreements as the prisoners were released. During this period thousands of Palestinians were detained there in harsh conditions, making it into a symbol of oppression. In 2002, after the “Shield wall” operation the prison was renovated and reopened.

Roi Kuper photographed the deserted parts of the prison that still bear their affiliations. Neglect and barrenness control the “landscape” stretching into the caged horizon. Under the blue sky dotted with white clouds stands the prison “city”: barbed wire, rusty sheds, guard towers and dry vegetation. The silent photographs, empty of people hold the voices and memories of the past. They radiate a sensation of dryness and death, thus strengthening the sad image of the prison and the connotations it evokes. 

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Dr. Rona Sela 

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