On the edge of war and peace: videos from Israel
Published 18 February, 2010, 20:04
Moscow’s Winzavod is hosting the “Calm before the storm” video art display. Israeli artists who have been living on the frontlines of conflicts for years present their interpretation of being in a constant state of fear.
“Calm before the storm”, which unveils the latest achievements of one of the leading schools of media art in the world, is the second in a series of video art exhibitions. Curator Vardit Gross, the director of the Contemporary Israeli Art Fund, collected works by thirteen of the best video artists of Israel. Videos range from scenes capturing everyday life in Jerusalem's suburbs, to lesbians quoting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's words.
“We are stormy people. And some of the pieces are not really calm, but as a concept it's interesting, because Israel is a country that is in a situation which is always before the storm,” says Anna Azari, Israel's ambassador to Russia.
The exhibition gives the impression that something extraordinary is about to happen. It gives the idea of what it is like to live in Israel inside this loop of pessimism and optimism, between despair and hope, between war and peace.
The only impression about the state comes from what people see on the news – conflict, destruction, and war. But in a torn country, even without a clear political message, art cannot escape a serious note.
“People in Israel are always updated in politics. It's a part of daily life that you cannot separate,” says Vardit Gross.
In the project “Calm before the storm” no accidents happen, only moments before and after them are captured here, which are just as powerful. But they aim to remind that the storm comes when it is least expected.
The display will be on through to March 28 in Winzavod Contemporary Art Centre.
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