Even though it is his “Photojournalism Behind the Scenes”
project that initially caught our attention, Ruben Salvadori has a lot
more up his sleeves. His passion for detail and human behavior is
portrayed in his various projects. Ruben is a 22yo Italian student from
Venice, that decided to take on the Israel experience, in so many ways!
We caught up with Ruben, and suggest you follow the work of this young
talented individual.
Who is Ruben Salvadori?
Some Italian dude I’ve heard about.
He spent the last four years in Jerusalem where he graduated from the Hebrew University in Anthropology/Sociology and International Relations. He uses visual media to satisfy his curiosity towards human behaviour, culture and tradition.
I wasn’t always. When I was young, I was interested more in travelling. Since childhood I’ve been exposed to a wide range of cultures and I think this is what made my interest for anthropology grow. For me, photography is just a way to approach other groups of people, a medium through which I can explore and experience their stories. With regard to journalism, I’m interested in it as a topic but not necessarily in doing it for a living – at least not anymore, since I’ve observed how the Media really works. I’m more interested in documentary photography than photojournalism because in my opinion, the latter plays on a more superficial level of the story and does not search deep into the essence of an issue, which is exactly what I would like to portray.
You seem to connect your academic background to your photography, how does this affect your work?
My academic background (especially my education in Anthropology and Sociology) is the basis of my visual research. It completely shapes my work in that I can gain a better understanding of an issue through empirical research, field work techniques, and by approaching items with a critical eye. I may have never embarked on a project such as Photojournalism Behind the Scenes without my academic background – it essentially pushed me to question “taken for granted” concepts and allowed me to analyze them further.
Why Israel?
I just wanted to be somewhere interesting while attending a good university; there was no particular religious or ideological reason. It was definitely the best choice I could make since my time in Israel gave me the chance to add a huge amount of experience I couldn’t get in other places.
Being Italian, has it been easy for you to fit in? Do you see similarities between the two people?
It wasn’t hard to fit in, I met very friendly people and many Israelis that are like Italians (except when we take over the beaches in Tel Aviv). There are an infinite amount of jokes you can make about us, and if a discussion takes a serious direction, you can always pop in a comment about Berlusconi and save the situation with some laughs. Yes, There are some similarities: for example, we both use our hands a lot to talk – just don’t gesture to an Italian to wait the way you do in Israel or you’ll have a hard time explaining that it doesn’t mean “what the hell do you want?”
How have you incorporated your interest in religious rituals into your projects in Israel ?
Israel provided me with a rich playground to practice my visual research because it is so densely full of religious characteristics. I am not religious but I am fascinated by all the religious facets that are shown in people’s daily lives. In Israel, I had many chances to incorporate this interest by documenting Christian, Muslim and Jewish rituals throughout the year.
You’ve also covered the Jerusalem pride parade in 2010, in addition to your exhibition called “Queens of Jerusalem.” That’s quite a contrast to your other photos, can you tell us about that?
I know it may appear like it contrasts with my previous projects but I feel that it doesn’t at all. My main interest is in human behaviour and this ranges from the ultra-orthodox and highly traditional sides of a society to its more transgressive and underground aspects. Contrary to the mainstream visual ideal about Israel, it is not always the typical image of a guy with peyot or of a Palestinian throwing a rock. There are many other different and interesting groups here that have greatly interested me. My work Queens of Jerusalem shows the faces of those who represent this marginalized group and is part of an ongoing project on the sociological concept of stigma. It was a very fun and interesting shoot and I felt privileged that my subjects allowed me to enter their intimate lives. I was able to get a very in-depth understanding of what it is like to be a drag queen in such a traditional city like Jerusalem.
Are there projects (from Israel) that you are especially proud of?
Although it does not contain my best looking photographs, I think the project Photojournalism Behind the Scenes marked a great personal growth within the photographic world. Visually researching on the photojournalistic experience gave me a better understanding on how the Media market works. It really convinced me to leave the journalistic track and to create a documentary with a more in-depth approach.
As a photographer/Artist do you feel a cultural renaissance in Jerusalem?
Jerusalem is very active when it comes to its cultural and artistic side. There are many interesting people with great ideas, and this helped me a lot with experimenting in various fields and gathering different perspectives to improve my work and knowledge. I am from Venice, which despite being beautiful is very flat and boring when it comes to cultural events and people’s interests; therefore, it was a pleasure to get a sense of Jerusalem’s rich culture during my stay.
On a lighter note, what is your favorite city / place (gallery, restaurant, bar…) in Israel ?
Considering that I came to Israel to study, I think Jerusalem was an ideal place to stay because I was able to experience an interesting environment without having too much distraction from my studies. I also enjoyed Tel Aviv for its artistic and underground world but I doubt my experience would have been as worthwhile if I had stayed there instead.
