Israeli artists and designers are strongly representing at this year’s SOFA expo in Chicago. The 14th annual international exposition of Sculpture Objects and Function Art opens this weekend (November 2nd - 4th) where close to 100 international galleries and dealers are presenting decorative artworks from the USA, France, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Israel, England, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Korea, Argentina, Ireland, Palestine, Switzerland and Turkey.
Headlining the expo this year is a special exhibition by 135 Israeli and Palestinian artists who were each asked to interpret the subject of “Offering Reconciliation” on the same clay bowl. Supported by the Parents Circle-Families Forum and the Association of Israel’s Decorative Arts (AIDA), the exhibition relies on the expressive power of art to effect social change.
Among the Israeli artists involved is Aliza Olmert, wife of Israel’s current Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert. Her black plate shown above (left) features the phrase ‘Arabs don’t expel Jews don’t expel Arabs’ over and over again down the bowl’s inner circumference. The Hebrew text is white on black with the labels ‘Jews’ and ‘Arabs’ in pink. Clearly, the color demarcation is meant to recall the pink triangle singling out of homosexuals in the Holocaust. Makes you rethink stereotypes and categories of people. Cliché much? Yawn.
What did strike me as interesting however, was the burnt orange bowl above (right) by Israeli artist Dani Karavan. The three hands and abstract black holes remind me of the ‘hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil’ trio usually pictured with monkeys. If only peace were so simple that even monkeys could do it. Or, maybe a bunch of monkeys are running the show around here and that’s why things are so screwy… Well the hands could also signify the collaborative nature behind the project and reflect our need to work together hand in hand toward a peaceful solution. A more cuddly spin on things.
What is less warm and fuzzy about the exhibition is that 15 of the works will be auctioned off during the SOFA weekend. Starting price? $1,500.
Just goes to show you that peace doesn’t come cheap.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Harry // Oct 31, 2007 at 8:50 pm
What is Aliza Olmert trying to say exactly? That Arabs and Jews should put aside their differences and have gay love? I don’t get the pink writing. And also, why is it just in Hebrew? Why not Arabic? Doesn’t sound too coexistence oriented to me…
2 Ziva // Nov 1, 2007 at 8:47 am
Totally. And I hate when people bring up the Holocaust as an example of what happens when people are ‘intolerant’ of each other. It’s almost insulting to suggest that it was that simple back then. And not parallel in any way to what’s happening here in the Middle East.
3 Alan from Oak Park // Nov 10, 2007 at 8:00 pm
My daughter and I went to the show last week. There were quite a few very interesting pieces. Unforetunately our Hebrew isn’t good enough to understand what was written on the pieces. Meaning was up to you as there was nothing to explain what the artist was trying to say.
What was striking was the shortage of work by Palestinian artists. My sense there maybe 5-10 pieces, and a couple of “joint” works. The overwhelming majority were Israeli. While there was nothing to specifically state whether the artist is Israeli or Palestinian, I developed my impression based on artist names.
4 Ziva // Nov 12, 2007 at 2:12 am
That’s really interesting. I wonder if they did that on purpose so as to remove any ‘labels’ and let the work speak for itself? Thanks for the first-hand account. And please keep me posted on any new items or info from your neck of the woods!
Thanks
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