On the second-floor exhibition space of Jerusalem’s HaMiffal, dozens of opening night visitors were glued to the projection of intricate ladders, fans and chairs crawling across the wall, loop after loop. For those responsible for the space, the moment was equally enchanting — because it wouldn’t have been possible just a year ago.

Five years ago, the original HaMiffal collective transitioned from temporary installations into a single residence. Its organizers took an abandoned, dilapidated 19th-century building a stone’s throw away from the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and transformed it into a shared space for art and cultural events. Perhaps riffing