CityFactory Bat Yam

CityFactory Bat Yam, the first of the our projects, set the path for the initiative’s activity. The project placed emphasis on the connection between art and environment, the involvement of community in artistic and social actions, and the encouragement of creative thinking. Its purpose was to give discarded toys and objects new value by transforming them into works of art. To achieve this, a series of social and artistic actions were carried out during the three months leading up to the factory’s opening—collecting old toys and objects from across Bat Yam and forming a community of workers that included designers, high school students, and retirees—(almost) all residents of Bat Yam.

The community came together through a complex and moving process that connected the initiative with schools, universities, community centers and social activists, creating a local network of workers who sustained the factory. This community participated in artistic training workshops in the months prior to the opening, enabling them to create new works themselves and to teach incoming audiences. Every item brought into the factory underwent sorting, cataloguing, and storage in preparation for the opening. Each object was recorded with its origin and story, thus preserving its emotional and historical value.

The factory opened for 10 days, during which 2,000 visitors came to witness the workers dismantling toys and reassembling them into new artworks. Visitors toured the factory, passing through the storage department, the hardware section, gluing, carpentry, welding, and many more stations. At the end of the tour, they reached the factory shop, where they could purchase renewed creations and channel their payment back into the community. All proceeds were donated to the museum’s education department, allowing CityFactory, the museum, the workers, and the visitors themselves to give back and contribute to the community.

Throughout the factory’s run, ready-made workshops were held so that each participant could not only watch the process but also experience a taste of the factory’s creative work firsthand.

Timeline

Credits