The Bat Yam case

The Bat Yam case

Biennale as a mechanism of urban change

The Bat Yam Biennale of Landscape Urbanism (Israel 2010) given the name – Timing (the right time, in time) is dealing with the urban time and the temporal character of the city. The Biennale can be perceived as a mechanism of urban change. A mechanism that merges the spatial, the social, the economical, and the individual time. A City_Time_Mechanism. Favas.net (Pnina Avidar) made in-depth interviews at Bat Yam (October 2010).
Urban change mechanisms act within the realm spanning between the permanent and the ephemeral, the temporary. Urban change mechanisms are therefore bounded by time. Our conclusion: the most important factor for the success of the Biennale approach is the appointment of an intermediary between the creative sector, urban dwellers and public authorities. In this particular case the curators of the Biennale. The curators succeeded in formulating local problems in a way that enabled a professional and socially relevant discussion. A discussion that lead to pertinent solutions. To speak in terms of a time measuring mechanism, they were the clock handles pointing the (right) time.

Favas.net surveyed and photographed precinct Bat Yam again during a second visit (November 2010).

Survey: Rob van der Bijl
Photos: Liesbeth Sluiter