“Israeli art has not yet been fully inscribed on our cultural consciousness,” said Yair Garbuz at the launch of a new and welcome art series in Tel Aviv, initiated by Tzlilit Ben Nevet, Director of the Art Deparment at the Tel Aviv Municipality. The glass wall (consisting of 20 panels, each 40 centimeters wide) on the south side of the Tel Aviv Municipal building will display rotating exhibitions of Israeli art. An installation of the works of Yair Garbuz opened the series on Friday, January 4, 2013, with a festive opening event.
Art meets the street and the people in this exhibition which offers a panorama view of select images from the artist’s repertoire, open to all and on view 24 hours a day, part of the everyday street scene of Tel Aviv.
One of the significant aspects of the Garbuz installation is its homage to Israeli artists of the past, including lesser known names, with quotations and visual references to the artists and their work, as well as references to well known scenes from European art. Speaking at the launch, Garbuz addressed these issues, saying that while in many major world cities tourists have access to the country’s art history, its past artists as visible as contemporary artists, and are able to gain a sense of the culture and art history.
“Here these works find their way into the basement, drift out into the corridors, and are forgotten,” said Garbuz, “Israeli art should be visible, on exhibit at any given moment.” Referring to the fact that people might not recognize the references to the history of Israeli art in his work, Garbuz said, “For some people, the images quoted in my paintings on exhibit here are like a rumor, something heard second or third hand, when they should be alive and present in the eyes and consciousness.”
The festive launch took place at noon, in the midst of the Friday Tel Aviv buzz. Getting the party started was DJ Michal Gefen, who got everyone into a mellow nostalgic mood with a set of Israeliania, Hebrew songs that instantly set the volume to “happy”. Supersound brought quality sound to the bouncy DJ set and the performance that followed – singer/cellist Maya Belsitzman. Opening the event with a tender cover of Yaakov Orland and Mordechai Zeira’s There Were Nights.
Belsitzman later returned to an adoring crowd and among other songs, performed a heart-rending cover of The Friends of Natasha song Im Kvar Levad.
Tel Aviv-Yafo Mayor Ron Huldai said, “Art is the neshama yetera (the additional Shabbat soul that we are given on the Sabbath) of the city.” Amen.
The Yair Garbuz Exhibition will be up for three months. The second artist in the series is Gal Weinstein.
