So to help shortcut design fans to the best of Israeli design, here’s the low-down on all the various events coming up (and fast). Please read through to the end since there are exhibition listings, seminars, workshops and more. And just to give credit where credit is due, all listings were taken from here.

Israel Design Week Holon
The Best of Israeli Design
May 06 – May 15, 2011
Exhibition
To mark Israel’s 63rd Independence Day, Israel Design Week Holon will be held at various locations around the City of Holon from May 5 to May 15, 2011. This initiative is a continuation of and an additional stage in the process led by the City of Holon to promote design in Israel and transform the city into a national design center, a process that began with the inauguration of Design Museum Holon. Israel Design Week Holon will present the achievements of design professionals in exhibitions and study days, as well as the achievements of local industry in general. These events will raise relevant design issues for professional discussion and address the direct connection between Israeli design and Israel’s ‘Made in Israel’ industry.

Exhibitions during Israel Design Week Holon include:

Designed in Israel 4 & Designers of the Future 4
Opening: May 6, 2011
Design Museum Holon

Designed in Israel 4 presents the achievements of contemporary Israeli design in the past year. The exhibition presents about 240 works from the fields of industrial design, graphic design, branding, interactive media, jewelry design, and so forth.

Designers of the Future 4, presents a selection of about 70 graduation projects by graduates from all the design schools in the fields of industrial design, graphic design, and jewelry design from the past year.
Additionally, a catalogue of the two exhibitions will be produced in Hebrew and English, which will serve as documentation of the practice and power of Israeli design and industry. The catalogue will be distributed in Israel and abroad as part of the international exposure strategy for Israeli design.

Made in Israel Expo – Designed and Made in Israel
Opening: May 5, 2011
Mediatheque complex

The event presents the “Made in Israel” industries that express national pride, and exposes products designed and manufactured in Israel in a variety of sectors, such as construction, food, electronics, jewelry, consumer goods, fashion, and so forth, and demonstrates the connection between Israeli design and Israeli industry.

Garbs of Creamy Goodness
Opening: May 7, 2011
HaMishkan Gallery, Beit Meirov

An exhibition presenting design duo Helena and Philip Blaunstein’s “Frau Blau” label – a new, colorful collection whose designs are inspired by the work of renowned graphic artist Gary Baseman.
“Frau Blau” was founded in Tel Aviv in 2002 by designers Helena Blaunstein and Philip Blau, and the concept behind the label is quality fashion with a humorous twist.
Gary Baseman lives in Los Angeles and is a star in the firmament of contemporary pop art. He is considered one of the most prolific and influential artists in his field, and has won a BAFTA award and three Emmys for the animated series Teacher’s Pet, based on which Disney Studios produced a feature film by the same name. He has worked with The New York Times, The New Yorker, Mercedes-Benz, Kodak, and Nike, to name but a few major firms. In addition to being a renowned illustrator, he also works in diverse fields, including animation, television, advertising, vinyl toy design, and fashion.

Profile Pictures
Opening: May 6, 2011
Holon Theatre Gallery

An exhibition of graphic designer Tal Spiegel’s work. Spiegel is a fourth-year student at Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, who designed a new Facebook profile picture of himself every day in the course of a year. His face appears in each and every picture, while the background and context change. The project is mostly influenced by culture icons, everyday objects, and anything else that crossed his mind.

Stitches in Copper
Opening: May 7, 2011
Hankin Gallery

An exhibition of works by Nati Amoyales presenting garments made from copper. Nati has been working with copper for fifteen years and has experimented with numerous techniques to find her distinctive path with the material. She says: “I’d cover the whole world in copper”.
Her works are sculptural. The copper sheets are cut and sewn together by hand to create garments: corsets, bras, dresses, and trousers. The complex technique includes beating, making holes, embossing, enameling, and utilizing pleating and lace motifs to create the effect of soft material.

“Made in Israel” Posters Designed by Students
Opening: May 5, 2011
Mediatheque and Dov Hoz Blvd.

The Israel Community of Designers in conjunction with the Israel Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor “Made in Israel” Department will be holding a competition between the departments for visual communication at the various design schools on the subject: “Made in Israel”. The “Made in Israel” Department will award prizes for the top three designers. The judging committee comprises representatives of the “Made in Israel” Department and the Israel Community of Designers.

Israeli Book 2011
Curator: Ilan Hagari
Opening: May 6, 2011
HaChava Gallery

The exhibition presents about 40 books in three categories, artist’s books, exhibition catalogues, and research books on Israeli art, that have been designed by fifteen of the most prominent Israeli designers in the field.
Art books constitute a platform by means of which diverse techniques and printing materials can be used for each book, and provide an opportunity for the designer to present the new and original.
Alongside the works of prominent designers, the exhibition also presents a selection of projects by students and recent graduates from design schools in Israel.
Designers participating in the exhibition include: Michal Sahar, Gila Kaplan, Nadav Shalev, Kobi Levi, Kobi Franco, Noa Shwartz, Koby Barhad, Dan Alexander, David Tartakover, Ilan Hagari, Guy Saggee and Adi Stern, Anna Geslev, Noam Shechter, and Nirit Binyamini.

Three study days will be held during Israel Design Week Holon:

May 5, 2011 | A study day on Design as an Economic Driver: Developing Strategic Company Assets Trough Intellectual Property Management, focusing on emphasizing the importance of design as an economic/business driver for company development.

May 12, 2011 | A study day on Industrial Design, Graphic Design/Branding, presenting leading designers in Israel who will also be showing their work.

May 15, 2011 | A study day on Interactive Media, discussing the cultural difference between interactive designers and their counterparts from the world of interactive startups.

Two “Design Friday” encounters will also be held:

May 6, 2011 | A lecture by leading New York based industrial designer Dror Benshetrit and Raphael Navot Nevo, guests of Tollman’s.

May 13, 2011 | An encounter on the subject of books will be held on . In this event, which is associated with the book exhibition at the HaChava Gallery, leading Israeli book designers will present a selection of projects and conduct an open discussion with the audience on book design.

About the Israel Community of Designers:
The Israel Community of Designers is a non-profit organization that represents industrial design, graphic design, and jewelry design professionals in Israel. The ICD represents Israel in international organizations, and includes practicing designers, students, and recent graduates from all the design schools in Israel.
Further information on the ICD website: www.israel-designers.org

Photos of Steven Wiltshire’s finished drawing of Jerusalem – including a few words from the artist himself on the experience – have been posted, by yours truly, over at Jerusalemite – The Jerusalem Culture Guide. I’ll be posting at Jerusalemite on art and culture in the Holy City but, don’t worry, dear readers, you’re still first on my must-tell list.

In fact, for those of you who have stuck out my intermittent posting this past month, I’d like to make it up to you. I’m thinking next week will be a payback week with two – count ‘em two – posts per day. This way I’ll repay all you who came to Designist only to discover, much to your dismay, that I still hadn’t posted anything new. So, in my two-fer IOU payback plan, one post will be new and current and the other will come from my (huge) pile of things I meant to write about, half started or left as a draft over the past few weeks. It should be fun – almost like time traveling, but with style. Looking forward to seeing you twice daily next week!

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.

“The Human Camera” has landed in Jerusalem. Or at least, he has circled above it and surveyed our holy streets. Sounds like something straight out of Marvel comics, but this is real life. A real man. An accomplished artist. And an extraordinary talent – or, dare I say, power.

Internationally renown British cityscape illustrator Stephen Wiltshire has come to cast his eye and hand across the city of Jerusalem in honor of its 40th anniversary of reunification. Wiltshire has garnered much critical attention for his large-scale, hand-drawn replicas of such congested cities as London, New York, Tokyo and Rome, because he recreates the cities – down to their very last street corner – after surveying the areas from a helicopter for just an hour or two. If you don’t believe me, check out this amazing video on YouTube showing Wiltshire’s artistic practice in action in Rome. The exact duplicate of the Colosseum – and I mean exact – is just incredible.

Identified at age three as autistic, Wiltshire’s creative and developmental outlet was quickly recognized through his complicated and realistic drawings of scenes and objects ranging from animals to London’s buses to buildings. Yeah, I didn’t mention the autism factor until paragraph three, and Queen Elizabeth II didn’t do so at all two years ago when she dubbed Wiltshire a Member of the Order of the British Empire, in recognition of his services to the art world.

Wiltshire’s first word, at age eight, was “paper,” and ever since then, he’s been producing artwork that has been featured in documentaries, galleries, exhibitions and books around the globe. In addition to demonstrating his amazing abilities in cities across the globe, Wiltshire also promotes autistic research and awareness and runs creative workshops for children with autism.

Having landed in Israel this past Sunday, Wiltshire spent one hour flying over Jerusalem and studying our sacred city. He will spend the next few days recreating the city from memory on a four-meter-long canvas – and I’m pretty darn sure he’ll have all the right stones in their ancient quarters. The finished masterpiece will be auctioned off with a portion of the proceeds going to support child education and autism research in Israel. Wiltshire will also lead art activities for children with autism at two schools in Jerusalem during his four-day visit.

Above, Stephen Wiltshire draws Tokyo as part of a BBC documentary on his artwork and creative process called Extraordinary People: The Human Camera.

{ Featured on Jerusalemite – The Jerusalem Culture Guide }

Last week the whole family went to Bat Yam and I’ll just preempt your confusion – I mean, Bat Yam? Not what you first think of for international and Israeli contemporary art. But, as you may remember, I love love love public art. And after checking out their Hebrew and English website, we were convinced. And off to Bat Yam’s first biennale on landscape urbanism we went.

Now the subject of landscape urbanism is slightly new to me I’ll admit, but it’s basically where outdoor garden design and landscaping come together in urban spaces to enhance or engage individual or community interaction. This amazing project was sprawled out across the city with pockets of installations by Israeli and international designers, some even featuring activities like musical performances, lectures and creative workshops for kids. We went during the day and despite the heat wave walked to a few central projects around town. The café/salon/courtyard project photographed (so well) below by Harry (Thanks, Babe) called A Lamppost with a Switch was my favorite. Created by Israeli designers/ urban planners, Shiri Cnaani and Taly Ariely, the setting generated an intimate atmosphere, much like a coffeeshop or living room, within the lawn courtyard of a residential building. At night, the lights strung across the tree and in the lampposts must have lent a really gentle and warm atmosphere to the public space. But during the day, we enjoyed the fire-engine red modern furniture and the fun possibilities of playing around in someone else’s backyard-turned-living room-turned-public garden.

I had a few minor problems with the exhibition though, namely, the signs were not well organized, nor were the events happening when we thought they would. More importantly though I thought too many themes were presented. The site talks about “Urban Action” as the central thesis of the exhibition, while signs and installations reflected ideas of ‘hosting’, home and the interchange between public and private, host and guest. In that sense the scope was too large. The Bat Yam Museum hosted a group of German artists who lived in the museum as part of an installation piece. Although an extension of the theme, I think it overcomplicated the exhibition with too many issues to think about. Having focused on one theme would have perhaps strengthened the experience and focused the individual’s engagement better (ie. thinking about urban space in an aesthetic way or questioning how to allow for private experiences in public space).

But alas the project is not about me or my family, no matter how much we enjoyed it. It’s about and for the residents of Bat Yam. Building up new outdoor spaces for their enjoyment. Renovating the city with a new cultural facelift. And bringing residents out of their private homes and into their shared public spaces with a newfound sense of pride and beauty.

More pictures from the Biennale on flickr.

I’m not sure how Batsheva (above left) and Adam and Eve (above right) would feel about their having been reimagined within a 21st century digital Jerusalem – but Israeli artist and activist Mike Darnell certainly makes you wonder. His exhibition of these and other Biblical portraits are part of his “Digital Zion” exhibition that opens tonight at the Jerusalem Open House and is on view at the Yellow Submarine through March 12th. While the Adam and Eve print recalls the painting by 16th century German painter Lucas Cranach the Elder within a digital viewpoint, Darnell wholly reconfigures Batsheva. The digital imaging works on two levels: not only forcing us to ‘see’ Batsheva differently but by doing so, we able to question her behavior and character. As Darnell puts it, “How much of Batsheva’s motivation for her nightly ablution was purely hygienic, and how much an exhibitionist’s seductive display…” Find more about these and other digital works by Darnell here.

First off, what immediately attracted me was their texture. The woven braids on the cuffs and bracelets seemed so intricate and layered that my fingers literally started walking across them atop the glass just itching to cop a feel. Then, reading the artist’s statement, I realized they were made of cardboard – egg crate cardboard to be more specific! That’s right, not what you first think of when you hear of textural jewelry or think of coveted bracelets. Berkovich cuts diamond shapes into the cardboard and when rounding them into the bracelet shapes generates a 3D effect – what I thought originally was a woven pattern. Berkovich’s overall technique aims to recycle used materials into beautiful accessories and challenges users to rethink the beautiful and the possible in what we casually throw away.

A little ways away in the same glass case, Israeli jewelry designer, Yael Friedman, also got my fingers itching. A delicate pewter-metal blend gold Hanukiyah or Chanukah Menorah presented the neatest little DIY project that just couldn’t go wrong. A one-dimensional page of metal provided cut outs of semi-circles – each with laser cut decorations – that can be slotted together to form a fully functioning eight-plus-one candle holder. The details gave some light and delicacy to the metal material and the adornment was reminiscent of jewelry techniques. And the idea of being able to mail someone a flat DIY Menorah in time for the holidays? Opens a whole new world of holiday card options. Now if I could only get my hands on these items…

~Crossposted to ModernTribe~

Designed by Anat Safran as part of her creative line of ‘container items’ from purses to passport and ticket organizers to business card holders to change purses. The pita pocket is everything Israeli/ Middle Eastern without the politics of identity, religion, ethnicity or just plain politics. Everyone loves pita, everyone eats pita. It’s the quintessential Israeli/ Middle Eastern staple. Food and eating are the fabric of our society and culture and, punningly enough, reprinted here in detail on the pocket’s fabric. Each one is handmade and printed, rendering each pita pocket unique. As Safran explains, “Instead of falafel – small change. Instead of fried eggplant – an mp3 player.” The pitapocket surely offers those missing Israel a pleasant alternative to those cheesy tourist items. Plus, it evokes the amazing flavors of Israel without drenching your purse in tehina.

At the Designed in Israel 08 exhibition, Pita pockets fresh from the oven

Read more about Safran’s design background and interesting source of inspiration – a discarded French dictionary? – here on her infobag English site.

Fun things are afoot at the Circle K as this week looks to be an exciting one. For starters, I’ll be visiting the Designed in Israel exhibition in Tel Aviv (at the fairgrounds again through Fb. 16th) and checking out the newest and most daring furniture, lighting and jewelry designers coming out of Israel. “Design works” (as the event poster above says) is being run by the Israeli Design Center with The Marker business journal, the exhibition is accompanied by a conference and key lectures focusing on Israeli design and its potential impact in the international scene and market. I know I’m definitely curious to learn more about it – and I hope you are too. I plan on scoring some revealing interviews with student and professional designers on-site and sharing pics of the great works on display. So look for that as we head into midweek.

First though, I’m thrilled to announce that I’m going green – and not with envy but with environmentalism! I always thought I was a visionary but now it’s official: I’m becoming a prophet and joining the esteemed ranks of Green Prophet contributors. I’ll be covering Israel’s eco-friendly design beat which I’m happy to share with talented Greenprophet founder and eco-inspired writer, Karin Kloosterman. Aside from tackling tech issues together, Karin and I are also talking about joining forces for a great giveaway next month, so keep your eyes peeled for that later on. But first, head on over to GP and read more about how to make your life more eco-conscious, in Israel or wherever you are. The poster above is by Israeli graphic designer Aviram Meir for the Designed in Israel exhibition and I think it’s incredibly catchy and memorable – and hopefully will make an impression on some to conserve water or reuse rain water in this case, a process which some cities in Israel, including my home town of Modiin, is trying to put into practice.

And finally, but ironically most immediately, another side project that I’m also excited to tell you about is now taking off over at Modern Tribe. Modern Tribe sells great modern Judaica and Israeli design products from the US and the blog covers everything smart and savvy from new Israeli music to creative Shabbat candlesticks to these cute aleph-taf (or A to Z) Hebrew alphabet bookends. Jennie and I seem to share the same appreciation for cool things so I’ll be piping in with some posts about the latest in Israeli design, fashion and home decor over on MT – or at least pointing you to some great stuff to buy. And she’s kicked off the DesignistDream crossposting bonanza with an interview with yours truly over at Modern Tribe. So head on over and check it out though I’m not sure about the picture… But enough about me, tell me more about you, what do you think of me? (Sorry but I couldn’t resist that one) Looking forward to a great week!

PS. If anyone in Israel wants more information about the exhibition but can’t read the Hebrew-only site, feel free to contact me for info.

Tel Aviv’s prestigious Shenkar College of Engineering and Design is hosting a conference and exhibition tomorrow called “Eco-Play with Bamboo” featuring guest lecturers from Germany, France and China about the material of bamboo for toys – its versatility as a material for toys and the impact of its usage on the environment. Or, more simply, why using bamboo is a good material to use for your kids’ toys. Turns out bamboo toys are way better than plastic (duh) and for sure better than wood, huh? Well, it’s safer for the environment: it is easily cultivated and, as opposed to depleting the rain forest further for trees, bamboo is easily replenished; it grows in cycles every 3-5 years.

Anyway, back to Israel’s design contribution to the field – or why I’m writing about it. Back in 2004, 15 students from Shenkar were invited by designer Peter Handstein, of HaPe International toy company, to study bamboo – how to grow it, cultivate it and work it into design products. Just when you thought toys from China were all plastic and being recalled, check out Anji County where ecological principles reign supreme and the county is synonymous with bamboo. HaPe International works with Anji’s natural resources and antique Chinese traditions for fashioning bamboo into children’s toys and other household objects. The Shenkar students trained with masters and local craftsmen, focusing on toys that were suitable for children between 6 months and 8 years old. And of course taking into consideration issues of safety, developmental stages and imagination. A judging panel of close to 800 children from Anji played with the toys designed and offered their ‘expert’ criticism. So check out the toys created by Israeli art students – like the truck above by Itai Amir – at the exhibition opening tomorrow night and on view through February 13th at Shenkar Gallery on campus in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv. Alternatively, listen to speakers from leading toy, design and bamboo product companies at the conference. Or, reed more (ha, get it?) about bamboo and its role in our ecology here.