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Hagit Sterenshuss: Past, Tense
The exhibition Past, Tense presents a selection of portraits by Hagit Sterenshuss, the bulk of
whose work was created in the 1980s and early 1990s. As the only daughter of sculptor,
illustrator, and designer Ruth Zarfati and sculptor and painter Moshe Sternschuss, two
prominent artists in 1950s Israel, her artistic language carries overtones of her childhood
home alongside the desire to find an independent voice. The large-scale figurative portraits,
which have become her hallmark, were mostly painted during her sojourn in London and New
York, sensitively addressing moments of loneliness in the big city.
In international art (followed by local art), the 1980s were marked by a "return to painting."
Artistic practice, immediately after the peaks of minimalist and conceptual art, was
characterized by a search for new forms of figurative painting and a return to the body and to
human interaction. A look back at those years reveals a turbulent decade that ushered in the
age of the media. Elements of high and low culture began to blend, undermining the
hierarchies of Western modernism.
As its title suggests, the exhibition Past, Tense takes us on a time travel back to another time
and place, prior to the works' date of making. The figures, whose portraits are rendered in
vivid pastel colors, belong to the artist's immediate circle of friends. Their "natural" place is
the domestic setting, but the internal drama raging in their souls and discernible on their faces
seems to draw the external reality inward, a reality which reeks of sex, drugs, and rock and
roll. Alongside vitality and passion, it is also imbued with desistance and death, against the
backdrop of the outbreak of AIDS.
The titles of the paintings, like the names and locations of the depicted subjects, bring a small
community of strangers together, young and far from home. Their figures are sometimes
cropped by the boundaries of the format, ostensibly attesting to unframeable voluminosity and
expansion. The source of the images and the inspiration for the fragmentation of the "partial"
figures originate in Polaroid snapshots taken by Sterenshuss. The photographic echoes further
widen the gap between the momentary, rapid occurrence and the lingering and immersion
demanded by the works.
Sterenshuss's work reveals an artistic channel which was far from central in the
historiography of Israeli art. It indicates a turning away from national narratives and the
definition of the local versus the universal, and a preference for vulnerable existence,
crumbling like pastel chalk. In 1994, Sterenshuss turned to Hinduism. She continues to create
and teach art but has refrained from exhibiting her work until now.
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Material Imagination: Inflamed Nerve
Israeli Art from the Museum’s Collection
Inflamed Nerve, the third chapter of the Tel Aviv Museum Israeli art collection exhibition Material Imagination, is launched during the deepest rift that Israeli society has ever seen. The social, ideological, and religious polarization pounds in the exhibition like the throbbing pulse of the artworks and their evolving interrelations.
After three years of display, the exhibition, which features works created here over more than a century, has been supplemented by some seventy new works by leading artists, some well-known, others making their debut. The space dedicated to the poetics of fire, Blazing Movement, is charged—as before, and to an even greater extent—with a call for action, cementing our place in the East; floating in the Airship space are various manifestations of the disintegration of the private and public body; while the space of Promised Land seethes with a sense of detachment, exile, and nomadism.
The exhibition Material Imagination departs from the story of Israeli art as a chronological narrative running parallel to the national story. Material Imagination is a model of thinking conceived by philosopher Gaston Bachelard during years of delving into the four elements—earth, air, water, and fire—and their incarnations in the imagination and in art. The material imagination thrives in the dialogue between the materials of the world and archaic images—archetypes accumulated and etched in human consciousness. The model formulated by Bachelard is the organizing principle underpinning the current collection exhibition. The three galleries of Israeli art unfold three chapters: Promised Land, Airship, and Blazing Movement.
Each chapter examines the works through a host of associations arising from the artworks' materials or elemental images. This distinction returns the gaze to the materiality of the artwork as an act and an object, requiring an attentive gaze, free of preconceptions regarding the art created here from the beginning of the previous century to the present day.
Curator: Dalit Matatyahu
Associate curators: Tal Broitman
Assistant Curators: Kfir Meir, Adi Gross, Amit Shemma
Photos by Silvia G. Golan
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On Wednesday, 11 December 2024, Israel's most important agricultural fair and exhibition was opened by Mr. Haim Alush , sponsored by Mr. Gabriel Hayon, Chairman of the Diplomatic Institute at the Ramada in Jerusalem and Silvia G. Golan Editor in chef of www.diplomacy.co.il and representant of www.diariojudio.com in Israel.
In addition to the agricultural expo, there was also the annual Clean - Tec fair, an exposition with emphasis on innovation in water technologies, renewable energy and recycling.
Agro Mashov, an annual fair is a location where growers, buyers, decision makers, retailers, wholesalers and importers meet. The expo covers Agro food, Agro - tech, Clean Tec, marketing, fresh produce, agricultural technology, animal farming, fish farming, wine, seeds, cannabis, mechanization, packaging, tractors, greenhouses, labeling, pest control and logistics.
Mr. Hayon welcomed all guests present followed by H.E. Ms. Idit Silman, Minister of Environmental Protection. Guest of Honour was Minister of Agriculture, H.E. Mr. Avi Dichter who was interviewed by his counterpart, H.E. Ms. Idit Silman.
The Ambassador's tour of the expo was attended by a group of diplomats, foreign visitors and state officials. Among the many stalls the group were shown included Seymour Agronomic Management Ecosystem, a company who manufactures control and sensing products for agriculture relating to control, plant, soil, meteo and irrigation, Safe wax, a company drawing inspiration from superhydrophobic plants like broccoli and lotus to offer a sustainable shield against fungal threats in crops which destroy a third of global food crops annually, Earth Biochar, a collaboration of companies working synergistically offering green solutions in recycling and organic waste treatment, Gadot Mercury, a pioneer in the chemical sector in Israel, Rifone, a company importing irrigation machines from Italy where 90% of irrigated crops are impacted with water using less chemicals and Matte Yehuda Regional Council comprising 58 communities scattered over 200 square miles consisting of many wineries, breweries, farms, home-style restaurants and guest houses. ,
The conclusion of the Ambassadors tour ended at the Diplomatic Institute's booth where there was a poster of past projects namely digital farming in Columbia, trade delegations in Cuba, cyberpark and women empowerment in the Dominican Republic, papaya industry in Guatemala, sales adaptation model in China, startups' soft landing in Austria and innovative ecosystems in Myanmar.
Guests from abroad who flew to Israel with the sole purpose of attending the expo were Ms. Florence Osuji, formerly a Senior Economic Officer at the Israeli Embassy In Abuja, Nigeria and presently National Coordinator of the Nigeria Israel Business Form, Mr. Solomon Oseagah from Abuja, Nigeria who is Co founder of Excella B group specializing in energy,mining, oil, and gas, and Mr. Jacky Kadosh, President of the Southern Moroccan Jewish Community in Marrakesh and Safi.
Diplomacy and Diario Judio extends its heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Haim Alush who annually organizes an expo of such magnitude and importance.
Photo credits Iki Photo Dino
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An exhibition revealing the life, relationships and works of the author Franz Kafka, as well as his cultural influence is currently being displayed at Israel's National Library. The exhibition also tells the story of how Kafka's manuscripts came to be published, a story that begins before his death and concludes in 2019 with the deposit of his archive at the National Library of Israel.
To mark 100 years since the passing of Franz Kafka, the National Library of Israel is displaying, for the first time, original items from the archive of one of the most influential authors of the 20th century and to this day - a writer who was able to brilliantly describe the "Kafkaesque" and often pointless reality of modern life. The exhibition offers an experience that honors Kafka's legacy and invites visitors to make their own way through a literary labyrinth.
The new exhibition, “Kafka. Metamorphosis of An Author,” will open on December 4, 2024 at the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem.
The exhibition presents, for the first time, the rich Kafka archive preserved at the Library, as well as contemporary works by artists inspired by Kafka.
Among the items on display are Kafka's famous will, in which he asked to burn all his writings after his death, the accusatory 100 page - long "Letter to his Father", original manuscripts of his well known books The Trial, Amerika, and The Castle, as well as his stories and novellas. including The Metamorphosis, first and rare editions, personal letters, as well as his own drawings, photographs and Hebrew writing exercises. The exhibition also includes materials that serve to show the massive influence Kafka's work had in Israel and around the world, including adaptations in theatre, film, dance and the visual arts. For the purpose of this exhibition works were commissioned from eight of the leading illustrators in Israel - Isakov, Leoa, Biniashvili, Warshavsky, Yekutieli, Salomon, Fahima and Kichka - who were asked to correspond with the works of Kafka and the figure of the author himself.
The National Library of Israel is one of three institutions worldwide that hold items from Kafka's personal and literary archive. The exhibition 'Kafka: Metamorphosis of an Author" covers his life story, his works, his relationships with his family, friends and loved ones, and offers a deep examination and understanding of his attitudes towards Judaism, Yiddish and Zionism. The exhibition also traces the fascinating story of his estate and how his literary works were eventually published by his closest friend, Max Brod. The story begins before Kafka's death and comes to a conclusion in 2019, when Israel's Supreme Court decided that Kafka's archive was a cultural asset that was to be deposited at the National Library.
The curators of the exhibition are Dr. Stefan Litt, The National Library of Israel's Curator of the Humanities Collection and Mr. Hadas Ophrat, a recipient of the Israel Prize for his contribution to theatre production and design in Israel.
The National Library of Israel was founded in 1892 and is one of the core institutions of the State of Israel. The library presently holds over 5 million books, periodicals, rare manuscripts, personal and institutional archives, newspapers, maps, and photographs. The library also houses the National Music Archives.
The National Library building is built in the form of a stone block with a concave upper surface resting on a glass platform.The building was designed by the Swiss architecture firm, Herzog and de Mouron and local architectural firm, Mann - Shinar. In 2023 CNN voted the building as having the most fascinating architecture.
The library main repository which has 14% oxygen with the purpose that no fire can happen , this means that no person can enter due to the inability to breathe. It contains over 4 million printed items.
The reading halls surround the well of light shining down from the skylight in concentric circles like a ripping pool. About 200 000 books and periodicals fill the open shelves.
In the permanent exhibition one will encounter the rarest and most fascinating items in the National Library's collection.
The library is certainly worth visiting. Tours are available as well as an excellent restaurant as well as prayer facilities for followers of all the monotheistic religions.
More on the Visit
Age suitability: Visits and tours of the Library are suitable for children, adults, and everyone in between, particularly from reading age (7) and up.
Visit duration: The tour itself lasts about an hour and a half. You are invited to stay as long as you’d like when your tour is over :)
How to Get Here
The address of the Library’s new building is Eliezer Kaplan St 1, Jerusalem. It is centrally located between the Knesset and the Israel Museum.
Arrival by public transportation is recommended.
The National Library of Israel website https://www.nli.org.il/en
An online exhibit is available
Online exhibit - https://www.nli.org.il/en/visit/exhibitions-and-displays/current-exhibitions/kafka-100-years
Photos credit Silvia Golan
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On Monday, 2 December 2024, H.E. Mr. Manuel Etchevarren, Ambassador of Uruguay to the State of Israel hosted an exhibition of graphic art by Amijai Benderski, a prominent Uruguayan artist at the Bezalel Art Academy of Arts and Design.
About the Artist
Amijai Benderski was born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1988. Among his works, the following are most prominent, the visual identity system of "Campeon del Siglo" FIFA stadium of the football Club Atletico Penarol and the brand for Women, Peace and Security of the United National Security Council. The Social Poster exhibition was part of the Uruguayan plan for Human Rights education. The World Peace symbol was part of the Designing Peace exhibition, showcased at the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco and at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York.
He has given talks, workshops and held exhibitions in Lodz, New York, Ottawa, Toronto, Warsaw and in six cities in Uruguay. He is also the founder of the Uruguayan Archive of Visual Communication.
Pressing for Progress
The collection of graphic posters on display is an integration of traditional art and craft with contemporary social themes. Each work was printed with movable type on handmade cotton paper. The works function as comments on subjects that are present on the Human Rights agenda, such as tolerance, gender equality and peace. The aim is to generate a transformation in perspectives in order to aspire action.
Social Poster Exhibition
The collection of posters aims to achieve a thought on the different subjects that are present in the Human Rights agenda. It is an invitation to think about subjects in a different way, through the use of image and typography applied to a poster. In addition to the exhibition, workshops were held. During these experiences participants produced their own posters. The workshop complements the exhibition, providing a hands-on experience in poster design and providing a platform in order to express ideas on Human Rights.
US
The exhibition brings together two bodies of work that explore the role of design in addressing social subjects. Through posters and letterpress prints, US invites you to reflect on peace, truth and justice. The Social Posters exhibition explores key themes in global discussions on human interaction with each poster highlighting a subject from the Human Rights agenda i.e. World Peace Symbol, The Missing Ones, Definition of Tolerance, The Missing Question, Trapped Nation, International Women's Day, Dove for Peace, A Nation of Immigrants, Frequency of Tolerance and Decarbonisation. Pressing for Progress, printed by Rodrigo Cuberas, combines traditional letterpress techniques with contemporary themes. Printed on handmade cotton paper crafted by Vicky Sigwald, these works explore the relevance of diversity.Together, these posters attempt to show how design can be used as a tool and promoter of Human Rights.
Guests were welcomed in the Academy's auditorium by Ms. Dana Gez, Head of the Communications department of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. She mentioned that graphic design has the ability to affect our way of looking at life. She also mentioned that the power of design can overcome social problems.
H.E. Mr Manuel Etchevarren, Ambassador of Uruguay to the State of Israel started his speech saying that he is honoured to be present at the event. He thanked the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design for hosting the exhibition and for the positive interaction showcasing one of Uruguay's most important young and talented artists. We understand the importance of art which serves as a bridge between peoples and cultures. Graphic design is one of the most direct art forms. It was initially cultivated by Toulouse Lautrec. The need to transmit ideas, concepts and feelings in a lucid way with less mediation and more efficiency is part of its essence and charm. The spectator is the final judge of the quality and truth of the work and its message. Amijai's works are created for diverse situations and contexts in which a feeling of hope and enthusiasm is conveyed. Last year Israel celebrated its 75th anniversary of national independence which was simultaneously marked by the 75th anniversary of friendship and support from Uruguay. Uruguay supported the creation of Israel well before its foundation in 1948.There is a possibility that Amijai's exhibition will tour Israel in 2025 however venues are still to be decided as the Embassy is open to suggestions ranging from Metula on the Lebanese border to Israel's most southern town, Eilat.
The last speaker was the artist himself who thanked everyone present with emphasis on his friends and the Embassy in actualizing this exhibition. His graphic designs were shown on a large screen starting with photographs of Uruguay and its beautiful Atlantic coastline. His greatest inspiration came at an early age from one of his Mother's paintings which was of Jerusalem. He started drawing at the tender age of six and showed us a signed drawing of his from that period. Seven billion people inhabit the earth and that is what his art focuses on. He regards the alphabet as the most relevant invention of humankind. He stated that good graphic design is visually powerful, intellectually elegant and timeless, which he quoted from Lella and Massimo Vignelli, a world famous Italian couple renowned for their iconic achievements in the world of graphic and industrial design He shared pages of his sketchbook which is his most effective source of creativity. A long presentation view of mostly Uruguayan graphic designs were shared with the audience ranging from bus tickets to posters made for Jazz festivals. Interestingly the designer that created the London Underground's logo, today a household image, was a Uruguayan designer.
Diplomacy.co.il is thankful to the Embassy of Uruguay in the State of Israel for hosting an unusually memorable,
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On Sunday, 3 November 2024, Poland's new Ambassador to Israel, H.E. Mr. Maciej Hunia opened a photographic exhibition at Beth Shalom Aleichem in Tel Aviv entitled "Guardians of Angels" which depicted the preservation and protection of Jewish cultural heritage sites in Poland.
Jews first arrived in Poland in the 10th century and in the 13th century the Statute of Kalisz was issued which established the legal status of Jews. In 1500 Jews existed in 100 localities. In 1765 the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth had a population of 750 000 Jews. In 1933 Poland's Jewish population was 3.3 million. 1992 marked the rebirth of Jewish life in Poland by the appointment of a Chief Rabbi and the establishment of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities (ZGWZ) consisting of 1594 members in 2022. Every year the Jewish Culture Festival is held in Krakow and a Jewish Film Festival in Warsaw. In Wroclaw a festival called "Simcha Festival" is celebrated annually. There are Jewish kindergartens, schools and high schools in Warsaw and Lodz. Jewish studies are offered at the Universities of Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan and Lublin. In Warsaw a Jewish Theatre, The Ester Rachel Kaminska Theatre exists performing plays in Yiddish.
The ceremony started with a heart wrenching song in Yiddish by Olga Avigail, "Ofyn Weg Shteyf e Boym" who also played the accordian while singing.
H.E. Mr. Marciej Hunia, ambassador of Poland to Israel briefly spoke, saying that Jewsih culture in Poland is closely connected to Polish Culture and that the Jewish contribution to Poland's public life, science, culture, art and the economy was enormous. During World War 11 the Germans attempted to annihilate not only Jews and Jewish culture but all structures reminiscent of Jewish identity namely over 400 synagogues and almost all Jewish institutions.He concluded his talk by stating that during the difficulty Israel is experiencing "be sure that Poland understands Israel's situation and emphatically supports it".
Since World War 11 over 1200 Jewish cemeteries in Poland have grossly been neglected and in 2002 the "The Foundation of Preservation of Jewish Heritage in Poland" - (FODZ) was established by the Poland's government.
"Young Guardians of Jewish Cemeteries", a voluntary organization of high school students as well as initiatives of families and local communities undertake the responsibility by dedicating themselves to the meticulous care of Jewish cemeteries in which there are over 10 000 volunteers in various associations related to the cause. Different Organizations are actively engaged in restoring the memory of local Jewish communities in Poland by collecting and publishing the names of individuals who were murdered in the Holocaust.
opening hours of the exhibition:
Sunday:11-18
Monday: 9:30-17:30
Tuesday: 9:30-18:00
Wednesday: 9:30-18:30
Detailed hours in Hebrew you might find here: https://bethshalomaleichem.co.il/%d7%a7%d7%95%d7%a8%d7%a1%d7%99%d7%9d-%d7%a7%d7%95%d7%a8%d7%a1%d7%9f/
The exhitibition will be there till 20.11
Ten Years ago, Rabbi Shapira who founded the Jewish Cemeteries Association whose aim is the preservation of Jewish cemeteries in Central and Eastern Europe was not present, his speech was read by the Embassy's "Master of Ceremony".
A short video was shown featuring young Polish volunteers involved in restoration projects of cemeteries and a few said that it was "their moral responsibility to do so". Another volunteer mentioned the fact that despite the constant work involved in the cemeteries he never gives up as opposed to the demands and challenges he faces.
Present at the event despite having to face two previous flights from Warsaw to Tel Aviv which were cancelled, was Mr. Pawel Kulig who represented the association "Guardians of Remembrance". His speech was translated into Hebrew and he mentioned that "the work is for you and not for us". He nostalgically quoted a song by Airk Einstein entitled, "Ani v' Ata" implying that "together we can change the world".
The event was concluded by Olga Avigayil's "Sholem Lid" or "Peace Song" which started in Yiddish and ended in Hebrew. Reference was made on behalf of the Polish Embassy acknowledging the Polish Cultural Association in Israel efforts.
Notable guests present were H.E. Mr. Gershon Zohar, Israel's ambassador to Poland from 1993 - 1997, Dr. Laurence Weinbaum who is Director General of the Israel Council on Foreign Relations and Chief Editor of Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Andre Gasiorwski, President and CEO of Global Forum which is an umbrella organization of 250 associations and lastly Brother Seweryn Lubecki, originally from Pszczyna, Poland who has been living in Israel for 36 years, he is a Fransiscian friar at a monastery in Ein Karem, birthplace of John the Baptist.
A special mention of thanks to Mrs. Magdalena Kukula and Mr. Lukas Levy of the Embassy of Poland in Tel Aviv who graciously provided Diplomacy,co.il with invaluable information regarding Jewish life in Poland and about the exhibition.
בית שלום עליכם | Beth Shalom Aleichem
Address : 2 Berkowitz Street, Tel Aviv, Israel
Beit Shalom Aleichem is located in the cultural center of Tel Aviv - near Beit Ariela, the opera house and the theater
The Chamber - which itself serves as a center for Yiddish culture in Tel Aviv and Israel. There is an intensive activity at home that includes:
Annual courses for teaching Yiddish - beginner, advanced and affordable classes - who participate in them
Over 300 students every year; Courses on Eastern European Jewry:
history, culture, literature; Music and theater performances.
The Chamber - which itself serves as a center for Yiddish culture in Tel Aviv and Israel. There is an intensive activity at home that includes:
Annual courses for teaching Yiddish - beginner, advanced and affordable classes - who participate in them
Over 300 students every year; Courses on Eastern European Jewry:
history, culture, literature; Music and theater performances.
Photos by Silvia G. Golan
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