Exhibition
30 November 2007 – 11 January 2008
The Decline of Christianity at its Birthplace
photographs by
Kike Arnal
In recent decades, the Christian community of Bethlehem has decreased dramatically from around eighty percent of the total population, to less than ten percent today. Since the construction of the Separation Wall, which divides Bethlehem from Jerusalem, and the twenty or so surrounding Israeli settlements, the situation of Bethlehem’s Christians has deteriorated such that many of the few remaining Christians, especially the young and educated, consider leaving their country as the only choice for their future. The images presented here tell the stories of individual Christians of Bethlehem and their failing efforts to continue to live in the land of their faith.
KIKE ARNAL is a still photographer and videographer. Originally from Venezuela, Kike has covered stories in the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. His photographs have been featured in The New York Times, Life, and Mother Jones, among other leading publications. He has directed and produced video documentaries, including Yanomami Malaria, a film for Discovery Channel about a malaria epidemic among scattered populations of indigenous people in a remote area of the northern Amazon. More recently, Kike has been documenting the impact of cluster bombs on the civilian population of south Lebanon.
