MONUMENTAL: The Dome of the Rock by Ziyah Gafic and Notre-Dame de Paris by Tomas van Houtryve

The VII Foundation is proud to announce the upcoming exhibition MONUMENTAL: The Dome of the Rock by Ziyah Gafic and Notre-Dame de Paris by Tomas van Houtryve, opening on July 1, 2024, at The Alexandra Boulat Campus. This exhibition, part of the Arles Associé Rencontres d’Arles program, will be on view through September 29, 2024.

A project of The VII Foundation, MONUMENTAL is an exhibition that fosters discussions on faith, national identity, power politics, social cohesion, colonization, division, and political violence through the symbolism of two of the world’s most important and iconic religious buildings: The Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem, and Notre-Dame de Paris.
The VII Foundation’s contributing photographers Ziyah Gafić and and Tomas van Houtryve had unprecedented access to these iconic religious structures between 2019 and 2023.
The Dome of the Rock was completed in A.D. 691 and is the world’s oldest surviving example of Islamic architecture. Today, it is a political lightning rod between Israel, the Palestinians, and the Muslim world.
Since its completion in A.D. 1260, Notre-Dame has been the stage for grand political statements and expressions of divine human authority. The cathedral has a presence in French cultural and political life that reaches far beyond faith and exceeds that of any other architectural structure in the country.

Curation by Yonola Viguerie, Gary Knight and James B. Wellford.

The projects of The VII Foundation are made possible by the generosity of our partners, especially The William, Jeff & Jennifer Gross Family Foundation.

This exhibition is part of the “Arles Associé” Rencontres d’Arles program.

PROGRAM – ARLES

James Nachtwey — The Presse V. Social Media
July 1 / 18:00 > Register Online (20€)
The Alexandra Boulat Campus, Arles
Join us for a special event with celebrated photojournalist James Nachtwey, who will present a collection of seminal photographs from his illustrious career and answer your questions.

Square Mile: Screening and Discussion
July 2 / 15:00
The Alexandra Boulat Campus, Arles
Square Mile, an initiative by VII Community in partnership with PhotoWings, inspires conversations on local stories. A screening of VII Community members’ work will be followed by a discussion with the project’s curators, Ron Haviv (The VII Foundation Director), Suzie Katz (PhotoWings Founder and President), along with featured alumni photographers Mihaela Aroyo and Mahdi Barchian.

Artificial Intelligence and the Threat to the Real
July 3 / 15:00
The Alexandra Boulat Campus, Arles
The production of synthetic media by AI models is rapidly and radically transforming the visual landscape. What can independent practitioners and media organizations do to ensure authenticated visual content retains a central place in visual journalism?

Journalism at Risk: Threats and Responses
July 4 / 15:00
The Alexandra Boulat Campus, Arles
Around the world, journalists are being targeted and press freedom is being obstructed. The strategies for securing journalism will be at the heart of this discussion.

Monumental Photography: Investigating Representations of Colonialism and Nationalism
July 5 / 15:00
The Alexandra Boulat Campus, Arles
The VII Foundation’s exhibition, MONUMENTAL, will feature in this discussion of the history of photography and politics of representation in France and Israel/ Palestine. Taking a step back from these places in the present, this panel will explore how particular understandings of faith, identity, colonialism, and nationalism have been enabled by visual symbols.