Appeals to emotion and personal belief and the dismissal of objective truths are the hallmarks of the politics of our time, and a powerful tool in the dissemination of extremist propaganda. The boundaries between fact and fiction, between right and wrong, are muddled. Our ability to make decisions on a sound foundation is compromised, undermining the very idea of freedom.

/sɑːm/ [Psalm.] tackles the issue by looking at the deployment of technology and digital aesthetics to influence, shape and manipulate beliefs, and by seeking to identify a counter-narrative.

The VR and 360° sound work is part of an evolving thematic project called /ˈhaʃtaɡ/ [#ashtag.] that marks the inauguration of a [futuristic] protest faith movement.

The project is developed with the support of Betalab, UKVR, Ravensbourne and Arts Council England.

Work-in-progress material and information will be added to this residency site as the project evolves.

Tsafrir is British Israeli and lives and works in London. He studied contextual legal studies, aesthetics, and European Union structures and law at Warwick University (LL.B.) and University of Cambridge (LL.M., First Class). He later studied history of art at the Courtauld Institute (non-formal) and art practice at Central Saint Martins, amongst others. He holds a diploma in Art Profession & Ethics (Distinction) from the Art & Law Institute in London, in which he is also a member. He is a practising lawyer specialising in corporate and commercial law, with a focus on art law and technology and innovation. He is a member of the Law Society of England & Wales and the Israeli Bar.

Inspired by this unique background, Tsafrir’s practice seeks to illuminate the interrelations between art and the social, political, legal, economic, religious, historical, ethical and technological contexts in which art is made and displayed. His art deals with the way fate, circumstance and choice shape our lives as individuals, communities and societies.

Tsafrir’s projects serve as a conceptual backdrop to the development of multi-media artwork that is designed to enhance perception and awareness of issues of personal and public concern. Attention is given to the interrelations between art and the context in which it is made and displayed.

Immersive and multi-layered, Tsafrir’s work seeks to offer a poetic space for reflection and to serve as a catalyst for transformation and change.