Mourning and Protesting: Spontaneous Memorials at the Hostages Square

The October 7 attacks sparked an unprecedented global wave of visual and performative expressions calling for the release of more than two hundred hostages abducted to Gaza. This article discusses this phenomenon through the lens of spontaneous memorials – a concept that redefines traditional monument-making by transforming public spaces into commemorative sites using everyday objects. A central hub for these commemoration practices formed at the Tel Aviv Museum Plaza, soon renamed “The Hostages’ Square.” The article examines these spontaneous visual expressions, tracing their evolution in Israel from the utilization of war wreckage in the late 1940s to recent carnivalized protests, and highlighting their distinct trajectory in 2023.