Gili Merin: Analogous Jerusalem

Jerusalem is not merely a city; it is an idea. For millennia, it has drawn visitors of all faiths and social classes, each seeking to engage with its sanctity. This enduring allure has sparked repeated cycles of violent struggle for control, often prompting the symbolic relocation of Jerusalem to places far beyond its physical borders. Analogous Jerusalem is the result of a five-year photographic journey exploring these 'analogous' shrines across diverse landscapes. It traces a continuous topography of pilgrimage, where the sacred and the profane intersect in unexpected ways. A three-part essay accompanies the images, examining the transposition of Jerusalem’s holy sites to Europe, the virtual pilgrimage rituals practised by medieval nuns, and the history of photographic journeys. Together, the photographs and texts form a travelogue through places that may, paradoxically, feel more 'real' than Jerusalem itself.