Lior Gal
About Lior Gal
Lior Gal, a French-Israeli photographer, moved to Paris at 21 to study at MJM Graphic Design. Previously based in Brussels, he now lives and works in Siena, Italy. With a background in sculpture and a three-year mentorship under sculptor Anselm Kiefer, He brings a unique perspective to photography.
His work challenges the traditional stillness of the medium by treating photographic prints as independent elements, layering them to create a multidimensional perception. By blending influences from land art and performative interventions within the landscape, he reconfigures our understanding of space and form. He is represented by Hangar Gallery.
Photographic approach of Lior Gal
Lior Gal’s work is deeply rooted in long walks through arid landscapes, where he captures imprints in the terrain that later serve as the foundation of his black-and-white photographic prints. By layering and pasting these images, he creates hybridized compositions that merge spaces, perspectives, and situations into a seamless yet fragmented visual language.
Blurring the boundaries between reality and imagination, Lior Gal explores universal themes such as time and space, unraveling their dual nature of simplicity and complexity. His practice incorporates architectural installations and site-specific outdoor interventions, which reflect his distinctive approach to movement and perception.
Drawing inspiration from cosmic structures as well as literature, his commitment to analog, predominantly black-and-white photography is a deliberate counterpoint to the overwhelming presence of digital imagery in contemporary life. Through his use of collage, chemical processes, and installations, he presents a radical and critical perspective on modern social structures.
His work Knots in Space / A Journey on Foot IX, (2021) was part of the collective exhibition Unique - Beyond Photography, held at Hangar in Spring 2024. Knots in Space /A Journey on Foot IX stem from traversals—long walks in arid places, during which fragments of landscapes were photographed. Then, the photographic image is connected to another, from a different place and time, to construct the illusion of overlapping perception.
The use of thread from various sources (cotton, silk...) and the repetitive gesture of weaving evoke time and silence conducive to meditation. It gradually screens the image, incorporating a visual impairment that goes against the immediacy of mechanized photographic recording. This allows for the dislocation of the travel experience into the domestic architectural space without losing its magnitude. The winding of threads not only recalls existing religious rituals but aims, notably, to extend one’s own ritual.
Exhibitions
His work has been exhibited internationally, with collaborations including JSVC Projects in Paris and representation by the Lebenson Gallery. His photography has been featured in both solo and group exhibitions across various galleries, from Paris to Tel Aviv. He was part of the collective exhibition Unique - Beyond Photography and Apparitions held at Hangar in 2024.
He has also taken part in numerous exhibitions and artist residencies worldwide, including Photo Kyiv (Ukraine), Oh les beaux jours! (Belgium), and Bildrecht Studio (Vienna). A passionate traveler, Gal has spent recent years exploring India, culminating in a residency at Emami Art in Calcutta in 2023. Lior Gal continues to develop projects in collaboration with the Kira A. Princess of Prussia Foundation.