Ronen Eidelman

PhD Candidate

Supervisors
Dr. David Behar, Professor Karel Martens

Bio
Ronen Eidelman is an designer, writer, and researcher based in Jerusalem. A Ph.D. candidate at Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, where he also a member of MUNDI (Media Urban New Design Interactions) Lab, Eidelman received an MFA in Public Art and New Artistic Strategies from Bauhaus University in Weimar, Germany, and holds a bachelor’s degree in visual communications.
Ronen is Co-founder and co-editor of Erev-Rav, the leading art and culture magazine in Hebrew. founded and edited several art and political journals/magazines as well as publishing books.  Makes a living as a freelance graphic designer mostly serving non-profit sector. Produced and created numerous events and projects linking art, culture and grassroots politics and participated in exhibitions and festivals worldwide.  Ronen likes hats and enjoys wearing many kinds.

Research: Community Surveillance in the Public Sphere

The powerful actors involved in surveillance are still governments and corporations, but the possibilities of people performing surveillance on others, as well as being observed themselves (by others), has deeply extended.

In my research, I explore how the control over the surveillance systems can be allocated to communities. I do not only How can surveillance technology be used not to control and/or discipline people; but how communities can use surveillance for their own needs and benefit.

I’m studying surveillance in West Jerusalem Jewish neighborhood public spaces, we I find a paradoxical picture. Both from the authorities controlling the systems and the residents living under them i observed mixed and ambiguous reactions and behaviors. From acceptance, and a desire to expand the system, to uneasiness and not trusting the system, to resident-led participatory surveillance activities on themselves, park visitors, and surveillance of park-related authorities and municipal workers.

These findings are leading to a participatory action research, working with the community to design tools and systems that make the public space not only safer and welcoming, but also more opened and democratic.

Keywords
Surveillance, participatory design, public sphere, surveillance society, cctv, security

Publications
– “Personal Security”, Mafteakh: Lexical Review of Political Thought, 2011 3: In Hebrew
– Plan B for Zionism “Medinat Weimar”, Dissonant Memories Fragmented Present. Charlotte Misselwitz, Cornelia Siebeck (eds.) Berlin, Transcript Books, 2009.
– Artist who love to hate the wall, art practices and the security barrier in Palestine, Theorizing Cultural Activism: Practices, Dilemmas and Potentialities. “Thamyris/Intersecting: Place, Sex, Race”, New York and Amsterdam: Rodopi, 2009
– Public Response to Works of Art, Learning mind : experience into art. Mary Jane Jacob; Jacquelynn Baas (eds.) Berkley, University of California Press, Fall 2009
– “Pipi, Poo, Hitler, Auschwitz, Shoa and Nazi symbolism in contemporary Israeli Art “ Wonderyears – New Reflections on the Shoah in Israel, NGBK, Berlin.
– “On the Possibility of Criticism Today“ Bezalel Journal of Visual and Material Culture, Issue # 2, June 2015, Jerusalem.
– Co-Editor in chief – Erev Rav – art and cultural journal www.erev-rav.com

Interest
Urban Interaction Design, Surveillance, Art in public space, the public sphere, activism, participation

Email
ronene@gmail.com