An exhibit of the works of Shraga Weil (1918-2009), a once-prominent Israeli artist who has receded somewhat from popular memory, brought us this week to the rural Emek Hefer. Weil, a Holocaust survivor who studied art in his native Czechoslovakia and Paris, was a multifaceted artist and graphic designer. The exhibition at Zuzu Gallery focuses on his graphic works, some of which are in the …
Israeli Art at Israel’s 75th anniversary– a list
When I was approached by the Center for Israel Education to compile a list of 75 works of Israeli art I was honored and also a bit daunted. The compilation is part of a larger project by the Center—namely, to showcase “75” in various fields of endeavor in honor of Israel’s 75th anniversary (75 significant personalities, etc.), and it is only fitting that 75 works of art - including works created …
Fateful Choices: Art from the Gurlitt Trove
Fateful Choices: Art from the Gurlitt Trove, a fascinating exhibit curated by Shlomit Steinberg, is on view at the Israel Museum until January 25th. Featured are close to 100 works from the cache of Hildebrand Gurlitt (1895-1956), whose collection passed to his son Cornelius (1932-2014). The collection, largely out of sight since the end of World War II, was discovered by chance in 2010, when the …
A Studio of Her Own comes into Its Own
Sometimes a fortuitous confluence of events flows together in a way to give one pause. Such is this moment for A Studio of Her Own, a Jerusalem non-profit dedicated to helping women create, exhibit and promote their art. The organization, originally founded to give support to Jewish religious women artists, has in recent years broadened its mission to include all women artists, Jewish and …
Who Will Write Our History?
Who Will Write Our History? At the entrance to the Yad Vashem Art Museum are inscribed the following words: “As I stand on the border between life and death, certain that I will not remain alive, I wish to take leave from my friends and my works…. My works I bequeath to the Jewish museum to be built after the war. Farewell, my friends. Farewell, the Jewish people. Never again allow such a …
“Therefore choose life…” Hadassa Goldvicht at the Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale for Art has been in existence since 1895, when it opened with one main pavilion in the area known today as the Giardini. Since 1980, when the large space of the Arsenale was added, the Biennale has been attracting close to 500,000 visitors every two years (in alternate years the Venice Biennale for Architecture is held). The Biennale has become a brand, and has served as a …
“Therefore choose life…” Hadassa Goldvicht at the Venice BiennaleRead More
Threatened Beauty
Threatened Beauty Works by Andi Arnovitz L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art, Jerusalem March 16, 2015 through May 15, 2015 Like a flying carpet, Andi Arnovitz’ latest works transport us to a world of gem-like color, where aesthetics and destruction meet in a deceptively beautiful dystopia. Her current show, “Threatened Beauty,” which opened March 16, 2015 at the L.A. Mayer Museum for …
Daniel Silva, Gabriel Allon and the Birth of Israeli Art
What makes a work of art or literature memorable is not only the craft involved, but its truth. A work doesn't have to depict "real" events to ring true. Just recently, an example came up when I read a book by Daniel Silva, the bestselling writer of a series of thrillers based around a fictional Mossad agent and art restorer, Gabriel Allon. In Silva's "The English Girl," a minor and authentic …
Daniel Silva, Gabriel Allon and the Birth of Israeli ArtRead More