Herzliya Biennial
Encyclopedia
The Herzliya Biennial of Contemporary Art (in Hebrew: הביאנלה בהרצליה, הביאנליה בהרצליה לאמנות עכשווית) is an art
biennial event held in the city of Herzliya
, Israel
.
The first year that the biennial took place on September 23, 2007 with the theme of "The Rear" (in Hebrew: Ha'Oref, העורף) and is scheduled to present the works of more than 70 Israeli artists in various locations in the center of Herzliya, such as underground warehouses, storage halls, the Herzliya museum, apartments, shops and bomb shelters.
The first Herzliya Biennial curator is Joshua Simon
(יהושע סימון) and its directors are Yehuda Ben Ezra and Dalia Levin.
, and by Israeli politics and surroundings, the opening manifesto
of the Herzliya Biennial states:
"The First Herzliya Biennial of Contemporary Art will focus on presentation of works by contemporary Israeli artists who address the notion of posteriority articulated in its title, "The Rear" (Ha'Oref in Hebrew which also denotes "home front", "hinterland", "nape") in various ways: the home front as opposed the front line - civilian society in Israel versus the army; the public sphere - where society stands in relation to the state; where labor is located to capital. "The Rear" (or "home front") is a general term that surfaced repeatedly during the recent war with Lebanon in the summer of 2006, when a million Israeli citizens in the country's north sat in bomb shelters, and a million Lebanese became refugees."
, Mika Rottenberg, Roee Rosen, Yair Garbuz
, Ariella Azoulay, Elisheva Levy, Gil Shani, Ari Libsker
, Zoya Cherkassky, Roy Arad
, Keren Cytter
, Sigalit Landau
and Noa Tsaushu.
Smadar Shefi from Haaretz
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/909285.html wrote that the name Biennial might be a bit too provincial to use for a city like Herzliya, whether it would be bi-annal or not. Quote: "The strength of the biennial lay not in any specific work on display, but in the fact that it realized its declared intention of creating a "public sphere through the various works and the responses they elicit in their viewers." The biennial extended across 14 sites, in addition to the Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art. The exhibition in the museum, with notable installations by Itamar Jobani and Elisheva Levy, will continue until mid-December."
Anat Turisky from Ha-Ir http://www.mouse.co.il/CM.articles_item,610,209,15757,.aspx wrote that the idea to place the mega exhibition in Herzliya was original and efficient.
Jerusalem Post article http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411447799&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull said (quote): "Is the biennial being used as a quick fix for the organizers and curatorial staff who are presenting particular kinds of art forms and media, while making a concerted effort to bring foreign guests, critics, museum people and local aficionados of the arts from outside the Herzliya/Dan region to view the displays? This was definitely not the objective according to both (Dalia) Levin and (Joshua) Simon."
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
biennial event held in the city of Herzliya
Herzliya
Herzliya is a city in the central coast of Israel, at the western part of the Tel Aviv District. It has a population of 87,000 residents. Named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, Herzliya covers an area of 26 km²...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
The first year that the biennial took place on September 23, 2007 with the theme of "The Rear" (in Hebrew: Ha'Oref, העורף) and is scheduled to present the works of more than 70 Israeli artists in various locations in the center of Herzliya, such as underground warehouses, storage halls, the Herzliya museum, apartments, shops and bomb shelters.
The first Herzliya Biennial curator is Joshua Simon
Joshua Simon
Joshua Simon is an art curator, writer and filmmaker born in Tel Aviv, Israel.Joshua Simon is Co-Editor of several publications: Maayan dedicated for poetry and ideas, Maarvon dedicated for film, and the New & Bad dedicated for art....
(יהושע סימון) and its directors are Yehuda Ben Ezra and Dalia Levin.
Manifesto
Inspired by other biennials such as the Gwangju BiennaleGwangju Biennale
The Gwangju Biennale, which started in September 1995 in the city of Gwangju in the South Jeolla province of South Korea, was Asia's first contemporary art biennale. The purpose of Gwangju Biennale is globalization of art and it respect diversity rather than uniformity...
, and by Israeli politics and surroundings, the opening manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
of the Herzliya Biennial states:
"The First Herzliya Biennial of Contemporary Art will focus on presentation of works by contemporary Israeli artists who address the notion of posteriority articulated in its title, "The Rear" (Ha'Oref in Hebrew which also denotes "home front", "hinterland", "nape") in various ways: the home front as opposed the front line - civilian society in Israel versus the army; the public sphere - where society stands in relation to the state; where labor is located to capital. "The Rear" (or "home front") is a general term that surfaced repeatedly during the recent war with Lebanon in the summer of 2006, when a million Israeli citizens in the country's north sat in bomb shelters, and a million Lebanese became refugees."
Notable Artists
Some of the notable artists to present their works at the Herzliya Biennial are: Guy Ben-NerGuy Ben-Ner
- Biography :Guy Ben Ner lives and works in Tel Aviv, Berlin and New York.-Education :* 1994 - 1997 B.Ed., Hamidrash Art College, Ramat Hasharon, Israel* 2001 - 2003 M.F.A., Columbia University, New York-Awards and Prizes :...
, Mika Rottenberg, Roee Rosen, Yair Garbuz
Yair Garbuz
Yair Garbuz is an Israeli artist. He was director of the art school at Beit Berl Teachers Training College for 12 years.-Biography:Yair Garbuz was born in Givatayim, Israel. In 1962-1967, while a member of Kibbutz Kfar HaHoresh, he studied painting under Raffi Lavie. He also attended the Avni...
, Ariella Azoulay, Elisheva Levy, Gil Shani, Ari Libsker
Ari Libsker
Ari Libsker featured in The New York Times and won several awards.-Film Making:One of his first ones, Circumcision dealt with the effect of circumcision on the sex life of Jewish people, connecting it to castration. Channel 2 tried to censor the movie and in the end broadcast it at a late hour...
, Zoya Cherkassky, Roy Arad
Roy Arad
Roy "Chicky" Arad is an Israeli poet, singer, script-writer and artist.-Poetry:Arad has published three books. In his first book, “The Nigger”, he formed a style that he called "Kimo" and defined as "a Hebrew adaptation of the Japanese Haiku": it consists of three lines of 10, 7, and 6 syllables...
, Keren Cytter
Keren Cytter
-Biography:Cytter spent her childhood in Israel, where she went on to study visual art in AvniInstitute for Art, Tel Aviv. After her success in various galleries in her home country, she moved to Amsterdam on a scholarship from De Ateliers....
, Sigalit Landau
Sigalit Landau
Sigalit Landau is an Israeli sculptor, video and installation artist. She exhibited at MoMA in 2008. She lives and works in Tel Aviv.-Education:* 1991-1994 Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem...
and Noa Tsaushu.
Reviews
The Herzliya Biennial got mixed reviews in local and foreign press.Smadar Shefi from Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/909285.html wrote that the name Biennial might be a bit too provincial to use for a city like Herzliya, whether it would be bi-annal or not. Quote: "The strength of the biennial lay not in any specific work on display, but in the fact that it realized its declared intention of creating a "public sphere through the various works and the responses they elicit in their viewers." The biennial extended across 14 sites, in addition to the Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art. The exhibition in the museum, with notable installations by Itamar Jobani and Elisheva Levy, will continue until mid-December."
Anat Turisky from Ha-Ir http://www.mouse.co.il/CM.articles_item,610,209,15757,.aspx wrote that the idea to place the mega exhibition in Herzliya was original and efficient.
Jerusalem Post article http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411447799&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull said (quote): "Is the biennial being used as a quick fix for the organizers and curatorial staff who are presenting particular kinds of art forms and media, while making a concerted effort to bring foreign guests, critics, museum people and local aficionados of the arts from outside the Herzliya/Dan region to view the displays? This was definitely not the objective according to both (Dalia) Levin and (Joshua) Simon."
External links
- Herzliya Biennial website English\Hebrew.
- on the Herzliya Biennial preparations from HaaretzHaaretzHaaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
, Dana Gilerman, 01.08.2007. - "Rear Window", Smadar Shefi's review of the Biennial from Haaretz, 02/10/2007 and Hebrew (2007/09/26) http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/907369.html.
- Israel Travel on the Herzliya Biennial.
- Hebrish At the Biennial