Carolina Lehan, David Duvshani, Hadeel Abu Johar, Liran Shapiro

Curator: Hagai Ulrich

Picketing is a form of protest held outdoors, usually in front of an entry to a specific building, to draw attention to a social or political cause. Throughout the 20th century, many of these protests have become identified with the need to improve employment conditions and workers’ quality of life. They became, alongside strikes, a common tactic by workers' associations. In a picketing event, the demonstrators usually set up Picket Lines: boundaries that separate between the goals of the demonstration, as well as its declared ideals, and the material reality on the ground. Whoever “crosses the picket line” is in effect defined as violating the demonstration goals.

One of the demonstrations most identified with picketing tactics took place in front of the Lawrence textile factory in Massachusetts in 1912 and is known as The Bread and Roses Strike. Following a state regulation, the local Everett Mill, cut off working hours of workers. For that reason, the workers embarked on a series of demonstrations and strikes – a course of action that gained success and was repeated across the United States. The term "bread and roses”, coined by women's rights activist Helen Todd in 1910, became identified with women's rights and improving employment conditions. The term indicates that workers need not only a source of livelihood (the bread), but also fair conditions, quality of life, spirit, love, as well as the arts (the roses). For 15 years, these values ​​have accompanied the Bread and Roses exhibition – the annual fundraising exhibition, held in Tel-Aviv, for the "Women, Work and Livelihood" project, led by MAAN WorkersAssociation and Sindyanna of Galilee.

“Picket Lines” is the second exhibition held at the new Bread and Roses space on 45 Aliya Street in Tel Aviv. After 15 years, the exhibition seeks to draw attention from the mere works of art to the bread and roses’ values.