Kept Alive (a literal translation from Hebrew) refers to the text engraved upon headstones to reserve pre-purchased burial spots. The custom arose from bureaucratic necessity, but grew to function as a popular charm to ensure a healthy and long life for the purchaser.

Kept Alive Portraits is an on going archival project, which documents these numerous markers, prepared and placed individually on the reserved plots. These markers are evidence of ownership, and function as actual portraits of individuals who are alive, but already posses a territory in the land of the dead.

“Kept Alive-Portraits” installed at Tel-Aviv Museum of Art- as part of the Project MOUNTAIN :consisting of Sabbath 2008, kept Alive and Kept Alive Portraits. Winner of The Nathan Gottesdiener Foundation Israeli Art Prize

March- August 2010.. Photo by Elad Sarig