Photo Credit: Eugene Kucheruk, "a white truck parked in front of a building,"Free to use under the Unsplash License
By Victoria Cook
Zigi Ben-Haim fled Iraq at five years old, studied art in Tel Aviv and San Francisco before eventually settling in Manhattan’s SoHo neighbourhood in 1975.[1] Like many of the neighbourhood’s lofts, the space that became his home had originally been designed for industrial, rather than residential, use. Ben-Haim traded his artwork to pay for the plumbing and materials necessary to make the loft livable.[2]
He went on to become one of SoHo’s most prominent artists, using materials found on the streets to create sculptures that would eventually be featured at the Guggenheim and the Jewish Museum.[3] He was one of many artists who literally built SoHo with their hands, yet fifty years later the City of New York says he must pay a six-figure fee in order to convert his home for residential use.
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