Attention, Stand at Ease - A Journey in Military Boots

The exhibition 'Attention, Stand at Ease' (in Hebrew: 'Dom, Noach') brings together artworks centered on the Israeli army boot. Through these works, and particularly through their accumulation in the exhibition, the army boot is transformed from a uniform, functional object into an authentic portrait of Israeli society during a time of war.

Like other parts of the military uniform, army boots are not worn by choice. Thus, while in the civilian sphere, clothing is an expression of personal taste, the military setting expropriates the individual's choice and imposes uniformity. Conversely, boots - more than other uniform items - are intensely personal, uniquely associated with the individual soldier (even containing a personalized tag with their name and ID number). Consequently, the image of boots, even when empty, represents the soldier's temporary or permanent absence.

Unlike many militaries worldwide, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is composed of citizens from all sectors of society. The sentiment toward the figure of the soldier is one of heightened intimacy; with a soldier present in nearly every Israeli home, the gaze is never detached or directed at a distant "army" with which there is no personal acquaintance. The artists’ perspectives on these boots are diverse: some works were created through the eyes of the soldiers themselves, in regular or reserve duty, as they observed their own boots and those of their comrades. Others were created by family members: spouses, sisters, and parents. Through the boots, these perspectives convey the soldier’s body, pain, longing, and prayer for their safety. Some works lack the physical image of the boots themselves, yet their echoes - as footprints in the soil or a lingering memory - are powerfully felt.

The booted soldier acts within space: standing, marching, lying down, or removing the boots and placing them aside. Each such action carries a composite meaning that tells a very human story of an individual thrust into a military setting. These deeply personal boots serve as the physical evidence of their place within the greater narrative.

The presentation of this exhibition as part of the Jerusalem Biennale imbues the boots with religious and historical significance. This everyday object becomes a subject of contemplation, elevated in status. Although the biblical command “Remove your shoes from your feet” (Exodus 3:5), reverberates through the hallowed space, in the military context, it is precisely the act of putting on shoes that signifies the departure for a fateful mission - the forsaking of familiar life and a readiness for self-sacrifice.