Ynet | The war is clearly evident in the Bezalel Graduates Exhibition: the time, the approach to family, and a hint of nostalgia

“Since October 7, it has been difficult to detach personal perspectives, and not view the works through an additional layer created by the situation, a layer that envelops the creations and art in general, even if it deals with it indirectly, or not at all. The necessity of students to go to the protected space during the year led to the discovery of the building’s underground floor, and for the first time, two works are being exhibited there.”    

As in previous years, the current graduate exhibition of the Master's program in Fine Arts does not rely on a guiding thematic principle, but it is possible to detect the imprint of the present moment. The exhibition opens this year following the events of October 7, and in the shadow of an ongoing and bloody war in Gaza. In the year preceding the war, the first academic year of this cohort, Israeli society was locked in a deep constitutional crisis. This year was characterized by a struggle over the identity of the state and the very concept of democracy. Some of the works in the exhibition directly and explicitly address the events of October 7 and the months of war that followed. Others examine definitions of identity, home, homeland, and family history, and address the history of the place. Many of the works pose questions that touch on the characteristics of contemporary existence: uncertainty, prolonged waiting, instability, and the sense of an uncertain future.

The article reviews the graduate exhibition, including the final projects of Daphne Amira (Don’t Dream It’s Over), Idan Sestieri Lavie (Adaptation), Yan Bolotov (Sometimes I Enjoy the Anticipation of a Package’s Arrival more than the Package Itself), Oran Maestro Segal (Edna), Maya Ella (I Don’t Know Time This Way), Efrat Katz (Words of Truth), David Muthada (A Segment of Pomegranate), Alon Cohen Raz (Dolido) and Ann Deych (Will Beauty Save the World?).  

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The Master’s of Fine Arts Graduate Exhibition  
June 26-July 13, 2024 
119 Herzl, Tel Aviv 

Opening Hours: 
Tuesday-Thursday: 12:00-22:00 
Friday: 10:00-14:00 
Shabbat: 12:00-22:00 
Exhibition closes July 13, 2024