Contemporary Jewish Art Exhibition Showcases Hundreds of Artists (Video & Photo Essay)

By BJLIfe/Sharon Altshul
Posted on 11/14/21

Under the theme, Four Cubits, the 5th Jerusalem Biennale is taking place from November 11 - December 30, 2021, in multiple locations in Jerusalem, Israel.

Four Cubits (ארבע אמות) refers to a person’s private space, a concept that resonates with contemporary meaning in these global pandemic times. Four cubits equate to a measurement of a little over 2 yards. The Contemporary artists and their works explore how art functions in our homes, offices, and studios, striving to create new ways of sharing art in the private space and to expand the art experience beyond public and semi-public spaces.

Ram Ozeri, founder and creative director of the Jerusalem Biennale is pleased that with less budget he was able to assemble over 300 works from mostly Israeli artists, but also from Turkey, and United Arab Emirates, and Italy.

The main collection is displayed in the original Shaare Zedek Hospital on Jaffa Road. Entering the front doors of the 120-year-old stone building, one sees the entrance to the synagogue with a large Magen David engraved in stone above the door.

Shaare Zedek's First Director and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Moshe Wallach who served from 1902-1947 wanted the shul to be predominantly featured, for Shaare Zedek to be both a medical and spiritual center.

The "Take Me Home" works lining its corridors are 200 pieces selected from 700 submissions. In the Synagogue Gallery Artist Sari Srulovitch's Judaic sterling silver mezuzah, havdalah sets, and other pieces were curated by Dvora Liss and enhanced the beauty of the space. Unique the white cloth hanging "Stone Canopy" incorporates small stones. In contrast to a wedding chuppah, "it expresses the heaviness that accompanies loss; the fragmentation and the crumbling of life-long memories" stated the artist.

To the right when one enters the building which was the home of the Israeli Broadcasting  Authority prior to the recent acquisition by Yisrael Canada to build in the area, is a display of old equipment called Analog.Front.

Visitors to the galleries may vote on their favorite images, though not for sale, some lucky winners will be able to take their prized piece home on loan to display for six months.

Photographer Yair Mechuyas Nuclear Capsules exhibition in the Black Box Gallery is on public display near Davidka Square. During the corona isolations around Pesach time, Mechuyas had diverse family groups come in and lie in his box where he photographed from above, intentionally blurred, in various poses.

The Jerusalem Biennale has been held every two years, the last one was in November 2019. When working on this year's theme over the year 2020, some were critical of an exhibit based on the pandemic. Even as the coronavirus appears to be lessening, the works are expressions by artists of their restrictions and lives, an impressive body of work, too vast for one piece.

BJL plans to feature more #TakeMeHome artists Yehudis Barmatz, Motta Brim, and Chanan Mazal in the future. At Beit Alliance, next to Machane Yehudah Market, in The Artist’s Studio is Sam Griffin, and Yaffa Bernat, and other artists. Rosenbach Contemporary Gallery, the work of Mindy Weisel curated by Uri Rosenbach is to open on Thursday night. Heddy Abramowitz and dozens of artists are at Kol Haot Gallery in the Artists Colony.  Plus, at the Tower of David Museum, 16 Turkish silversmiths and 8 Israeli ones are presenting jewelry reflecting the time of pandemic and social isolation.

The full Jerusalem Biennale program can be seen here