1948-58:

Tel Aviv’s distinctive Bauhaus style reflects a strong tradition of art and craft that was brought over from Europe. But the slight alterations – replacing windows with balconies and increasing shaded areas through added cornices – account for the Middle Eastern climate thereby introducing an Israeli element to an International Style. Or perhaps recreating an older aesthetic within a new, Israeli style of living. In 2003, Tel Aviv is declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and renamed the “White City“.

1959-68:

Don’t let these bathing beauties distract you from the real excitement of the decade: Gottex. Founded in 1949 by Leah and Ermine Gottleib, Jewish immigrants from Hungary, as a raincoat company, they turned a quick 180 degrees toward the Mediterranean sun – in recognition of our more defining climate. With Gottex’s revolutionary introduction of Spandex (yes, you can blame Israel for that one), bathing suits became lighter and clingier, allowing for Gottex to pioneer two significant swimwear crazes. First, as hemlines rose in the swinging 60s, bathing suits hiked in all directions – thanks to the miracles of Spandex and other light fabrics developed by Gottex. Second, and this relates to later decades of partying and excess as well, Gottex put glamour and fashion onto the beach. And with Gottex the concept of luxury swimwear was born and bred.

1969-78:

If you thought many of Israel’s corporate logos, symbols, posters or advertisements had something in common, you were right. They were either designed or influenced by Israeli graphic artist extraordinaire Dan Reisinger. Born in Yugoslavia in 1934, Reisinger’s talents were quickly identified and he was sent to study at Jerusalem’s prestigious Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Reisinger’s prolific career has enjoyed incredible hometown and international success. He has designed more than 200 social, political and cultural images and posters in Israel, including 150 logos that have become part and parcel of our everyday living. Together they serve as a visual timeline marking Israel’s most significant historical, social, economic and cultural developments over the decades. In 1971-76, Reisinger designed what we have all come to know and love (or loathe) in the form of ElAl’s corporate logo – the slanted letters, mixed Hebrew and English, blue and white. Above is a destination poster to travel with ElAl which was part of a series from 1968-71. The graphic, abstract and modern-meets-traditional, almost nostalgic but contemporary, aesthetic of Reisinger’s work continues to influence.

1979-1988:

Just like disco its moves and grooves, so too, in a way, did the artwork of Yaakov Agam. And as the excessive and hyperextended 80s took over, Agam’s kinetic, geometric and highly colorful, conceptual art found its place in the middle of Tel Aviv’s bustling metropolis. In the form of a rotating sound and light water fountain that, along with the angular blocks of color – that really change as you look at them from different angles, represent the elements of Water and Fire. Agam’s experiments with optical, kinetic and experiential art left an indelible imprint on our canon. In this case, the spectacle placed within and about Tel Aviv’s most important crosswalk shows the city gaining a self-awareness – or perhaps a self-imposed importance – of its position as the (cultural) center of the country.

1989-1998:

I can’t say enough about Ron Arad. I love, love, love him. He’s an incredible designer. World renown. Amazingly innovative and challenging at the same time. And from Israel. In 1989, Arad’s rapidly increasing fame and reputation for chair and furniture design led him to establish Ron Arad Associates in London. In 1994, again owing to growing success, he added a studio workshop in Italy to increase production of his studio pieces. Seating and shelvingare just some of his more famous designs that are currently either on view at major museums around the world or on sale for respectable (read: incredibly high) prices at prestigious auction houses. But with design gaining mass popularity and media attention these days, its the talent that makes Ron Arad a household name – not just the pricetag.

1999-2008 and beyond:

The Israeli Design Center in Holon where the past, present and future come together and forge ahead. Both the culmination of years of amazing art and design efforts from Israel and the (final) destination for future ones. Designed by none other than Ron Arad, the Museum’s voluminous shapes take on larger-than life presence as it guides the visitor’s experience both inside and out through a range of spirals, swirls and enveloping colored building materials (steel, concrete, stone, glass, etc). Obviously an amazing homage to Arad’s own legacy – since the works to be displayed inside the museum were undoubtedly influenced by him. Headed by Dr. Razi Amiatay, in consultation with Professor Ezri Tarazi, a celebrated designer, teacher and arts advocate in his own right, the Israeli Design Center has been gaining speed and prominence both locally and internationally with a great website (albeit in Hebrew only for now), events and conferences welcoming prominent figures from abroad, and a burgeoning student and independent artists and designers community. It is literally and figuratively the space to watch for our art and design future.

The above post was created specially for 60bloggers.com where 60 bloggers celebrate 60 years of Israel with 60 days of posts on Zionism to politics and everything in between.

To celebrate Harry’s big birthday this weekend, we took a fun-filled family trip to the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo. Aside from the animals – and the joy of introducing Tzofi to them (penguins, elephants and monkeys scored high on the smiles and squeals scale) – I really wanted to see the sculpture park created by French artist Niki de Saint Phalle. I hadn’t been to the zoo in ages and given last week’s amateur public art display at the TASE Global View, I was really in the mood for some fine art French-style.

The 23 animal sculptures created by Niki de Saint Phalle for the Jerusalem Zoo testify to her longstanding fascination with how color and fantasy blended with body and shape. Influenced by her relationship with Jean Tanguely – who she later married – and the Surrealist movement, de Saint Phalle’s creatures are simultaneously identifiable as animals – kangaroo, turtle, lion, camel – and morphed into hyper-colored hybrids. The animals also feature holes, benches and climbing poles as part of their physique so that kids can climb through, jump on and sit inside of them. Nearby, a central ark – as in Noah’s ark – was designed in collaboration by Swiss architect Mario Botta serves as the central play station for kids and their parents and possibly the home for these crazy animals when all the visitors have left . More on the project’s design and execution can be read here and here.

This is not de Saint Phalle’s first public art foray into Jerusalem however. Some of you may recognize a similar fantastical animal in the Kiryat HaYovel neighborhood of Jerusalem: the famous monster slide. The huge black and white, spotted and horned blob is a favorite stop for local children – including myself and my brothers back in the day – to slide down its steep three red tongues.

The monster slide and the zoo creatures were created nearly thirty years apart. It was the longstanding dream of Jerusalem’s favorite mayor and cultural advocate, Teddy Kollek, to invite de Saint Phalle back to Jerusalem to design a larger sculpture park for the city and its children. Although de Saint Phalle passed away shortly after the zoo’s sculpture park opened, her love of fantasy and play will always be an integral part of Jerusalem’s visual and cultural landscape.

A recent family jaunt to Tel Aviv led us to the city’s current public art project, Global View. More than 100 globes dotted the beautiful Rothschild Boulevard as part of a joint business-art venture that partnered the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE), NY Stock Exchange, NASDAQ and London Stock Exchange (LSE) with 100 leading Israeli businesses. Each company was responsible for working with an Israeli artist to design a globe that represented the concept and vision of the company regarding globalization and its impact on today’s world.

I was really excited to have stumbled upon this event. I didn’t see it publicized anywhere and I’m a big fan of public art projects. I was very eager to put on my ‘thinking cap’ and ‘looking skills’ and start strolling down the boulevard for investigation, stimulation and, most important, inspiration.

All excitement was quickly squashed when I bumped headfirst into the unbearable and ubiquitous Osem baby. I can’t stand that creepy baby. He’s too big for that diaper and he’s everywhere I look – on snacks, commercials, the supermarket. Now, he’s even on installation art? (And it wasn’t as an artist anti statement type thing.) Turning around I noticed my bank sponsored another globe. Their interpretation of their role in the global world? The globe chained down to a key with the bank’s logo. A horrifying thought: my bank controls my world or at least weighs it down heavily. And with chains.

This exhibition was so wrong it wasn’t right. Everywhere we looked, globes were splashed out with company logos, colors or literal representations of what they do. The level of ‘interpretation’ was so limited and the craftsmanship was often simplistic or amateurish. If I had to bet, I’d say the companies kept the artists on a tight leash. And I wonder what the artists would say about that…

The only globe I found interesting was this one above by Israel Petrochemical Enterprises and Israeli artist Adital Ella. The globe had several openings that spiraled down into the Earth’s core. Peeking your head into them to see deep down, you noticed that each which was filled with tiers of plastic figurines of people, animals, food and other products. The jutting out bicycle at the base represented clean energy. The artist herself is a lecturer at the social-environmental design study program at Holon Academic Institute of Technology and an advocate for sustainable design. It is clear that her interest in the relationship between man, industry and nature played a big part in her globe-artwork.

Everyone seems to be going green or getting global these days but this exhibition proves that where some just want to conquer and exploit, others want to engage and inspire. This single globe made the entire exhibition worth seeing for me. It was smart, engaging and still interesting to think about. It’s still on view through November 5th.

Let me know what you think.

The Collective 6940 settled into the Gan HaHashmal area with a smattering of design studios and stores that inhabit the few blocks around the central garden. Their efforts grew organically and soon inspired other young Israeli entrepreneurs to open cafes, bars, and even a yoga studio. And neighborhood happenings, joint sales and block parties further propel this area into the fashion-forward spotlight.

Just to show you how old and old school the neighborhood was, the picture above shows the ethereal and whimsical fashion house Frau Blau. Next door is a science laboratory supply store with a storefront of beakers, test tubes, microscopes and more. Momentary pause: respect to old stuff.

The Collective 6940 website is all in Hebrew but the central map showing where the stores are located, also features the names of the Gan HaHashmal Israeli designers in English and even lists their websites. Not all the sites work, for some reason, and it’s not because most Israeli sites don’t seem to understand the preference for Mozilla over Explorer. For sure, if they want to attract a larger audience, the designers of Gan HaHashmal get some marketing material together up in English and fast. Although the municipality got behind some of the urban renewal, they should kick in some more money to make sure the area not only continues to develop culturally and artistically, but that it thrives too – economically of course.

Beitili’s seasonal line is available in six ‘chocolate flavors’: chocolate fondu with cherries; chocolate souffle with orange essence; silver candies with chocolate pralines; pistachio cookies in chocolate cream; ice cream dipped in chocolate; espresso with swirls of chocolate. From couches to carpets, vases to lamps, the hues are as rich in color as they are in description.

Obviously Beitili hope to turn their stores into veritable Willy Wonka Factories for the home-design-greedy. But what I find ironic about this corporate match-up is that unlike the stylish and current designs of Max Brenner, Beitili’s products seem overly ornate, incredibly out-of-date and downright designed for the elderly. I mean, just look at the (odd) pairing below:

Left, Max Brenner’s innovative ‘Hug Mug’, that requires you to drink hot, comfy beverages with two hand cupped around it vs. Right, Beitili’s White Pumpkin table accessory holder-thing from their Ice Cream Dipped in Chocolate line. An item that my grandmother would probably have bought had she visited China in the 18th century or thought that Chinoiserie was somehow still ‘in’.

Beitili’s website is all in Hebrew but the flash presentation on the homepage conveys the goal of their newest products. The only two items I found I could live with were this Kilimanjaro Dining Room Table of dark chocolate wood. Interesting in design and construction, it reminded me of a KitKat (ever notice the ridges on the edge of the KitKat? Take a look next time).

Also the table lamp below left seems to be a mod-pod Raisinette-meets-M&M interpretation of the style-phile’s Vaughan’s Lausanne Crystal lamp below right.

Not sure what this all says about Israeli home design, but at least our chocolate is a sure-fire purchase.