If Walls Could Speak: POP-UP Graffiti at the Oncology Institute
After some 40 years of activity, the Oncology Center at Shamir Medical Center (Assaf Harofeh), located next to the main ER square, closed its doors and moved to a temporary facility (Building 202) for the purpose of establishing an innovative, comprehensive, and integrative cancer treatment institute, donated by the Helmsley Charitable Trust.
Just before the demolition of the building and for the first time in an Israeli public or government medical center, the Oncology Center’s staff, led by Dr. Raya Leibowitz, together with management representatives, patients, and families gathered to say bid farewell to the building for many of them had been an icon of hope and resilience, of triumph, camaraderie, and common purpose.
Under the direction of curator Dina Segev, the former oncology center was transformed into an inventive and engaging pop-up graffiti exhibition of the work of diverse street artists.
As part of the event, the walls of the building were covered by the artistry of the street artists – graffiti conveying messages of remembrance, hope, empowerment, and victory over cancer.
“The Medical Center is in the midst of a major growth surge, and the Oncology Center, which is one of Shamir’s centers of excellence, is expected to undergo a significant upgrade in terms of patient and family treatment and service. I commend Dr. Raya Leibowitz and the Center’s staff for the creative and moving initiative of saying goodbye to this legendary building with a unique graffiti exhibition that provides freedom and relief to the creative mind. I invite everyone to visit and take in the graffiti creations, which are both impressive and uplifting," said Dr. Osnat Levtzion-Korach, General Director and CEO of the medical center.
Dr. Raya Leibowitz, Director of Shamir’s Oncology Center, said, “Shamir’s historical Oncology Center served the region’s cancer patients for close to 40 years, and its walls have 'seen' everything. We felt that it would not be appropriate to demolish its long-standing home without paying tribute, so we are turning our goodbye from the building into a celebration of art, memory, hope, and empowerment, in recognition of the fact that the fight against cancer is a shared battle, in which patients and staff join forces. The new building that will replace the old one will provide a comprehensive, multidisciplinary and personalized response, while caring not only for patients’ health, but also for their well-being and quality of life.”
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust donated some nine million dollars for the establishment of a new, state-of-the-art oncology center that will be equipped to provide and integrative care for the region’s patients. Accordingly, the building incorporates several elements, including the ground floor, uniquely designed to provide more privacy and better meet the needs of outpatients. Two additional floors will be built, one for the clinic facilities and the other dedicated to palliative care. In addition, an innovative radiation center is planned to be built in the basement of the building.