(Contributed by the Ministry of Tourism Spokesperson)
The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Art Biennial ARTLV09 will take place in Tel Aviv–Jaffa from 10-24 September, the central event of the September centennial celebrations dedicated to art.
ARTLV, a biennial international art event launched by four key women in the Israeli art scene, aims to place the local art scene on the center stage of the world of contemporary art. This year’s event is taking place in cooperation with the Tel Aviv Centennial Administration, with the aim of creating a sequence of artistic happenings around the Mediterranean in coordination with the biennials in Istanbul and Athens.
This year, the Biennial will display the works of over 300 artists at twenty different venues and in public areas. The event offers an unprecedented glimpse of the scope and scale of Israel’s art scene.
Exhibit by Sigalit Landau (Photo: Ministry of Tourism)
The central exhibition at the Nechushtan Pavilion (near the Neve Tzedek neighborhood) features an exhibition entitled Circus Universalis, presenting the works of forty Israeli and international artists examining visual representations of the modern city from divergent perspectives. The works in the exhibition relate to myths, materials, and concepts associated with the modern city in general and with Tel Aviv–Jaffa in particular: The Nechushtan Pavilion is a Templar compound that pre-dates the city itself, a mix of recently-renovated buildings alongside a residential tower. This location offers a chance to examine the architectural history of the city and provides an appropriate backdrop for the themes examined by the exhibition. A number of works will be displayed in the urban space as an extension of the main exhibition, creating a route leading from the city center to the exhibition venue.
Other exhibitions taking place include the Israel Museum exhibition at the Mani – Leumi House with a selection of contemporary Israeli and international works by some of today’s leading artists; an exhibition at the Nahum Guttman Museum of Art entitled Zulu: Hunters and Other Fantasies; an exhibition at the Minshar School of Art presenting Palestinian photographs held in Israeli military archives and an exhibition at the Bezalel Academy of Art entitled Opening – Four Openings in Israeli Art including the works of different artists.
In addition, Rabin Square in the heart of Tel Aviv will be carpeted with half a million flowers from 15-17 September. The unique flower carpet – a gift from the people of Brussels - is a homage to the history of Tel Aviv, inspired by the tiles and murals found in the homes of the city’s founders.
More information on the centennial website: www.tlv100.co.il