Restart - Group Exhibition

The exhibition “Restart” presents works that deal with the dynamics of the processes of destruction and rebuilding in various contexts, which integrate with and complement each other in their relationship with the surrounding reality, as well as with the artistic gesture. Since the beginning of the modern era, art has been engaged with the processes of destruction and reconstruction that stem from progress, which brought about myriad changes in the environment and in every aspect of life. To this was added, mainly from the 1960s onward, the engagement with destruction of the artistic object, one manifestation of the avant-garde spirit that subverted the traditional means of artistic representation. The continuation and further development of these trends can be seen in contemporary art in terms of its relationship with the environment in which these processes of change are becoming increasingly frenetic. The body of work displayed in this exhibition reflects conspicuous trends representing the spirit of the times that are linked to the topic of destruction and rebuilding – in the context of the contemporary urban space in the age of globalization, the local sociopolitical reality, and the processes of shape-shifting as part of the artistic gesture. The exhibition explores the relationship of Israeli artists to urban spaces abroad, such as Berlin or the cities of the Far East, which developed when the artists lived in these places or spent long periods there in residency programs. In the age of globalization, Israeli artists are exposed to the immense power of capitalism and to the process of gentrification that is occurring in many places around the world. Another focus of the exhibition is the process of building that symbolizes the displacement of socioeconomically weaker populations, also with reference to Israel. It appears that the frequently shifting reality, which is subject to the influence of tremendous economic forces and technology that is developing at a dizzying pace, affects the manner in which the artists themselves engage with their own artworks. In a dynamic reality that is subject to enormous changes during an age that facilitates increased productivity, these artists seek to explore the processes of annihilation and rebuilding, as well as the breached borders of artistic creation itself. The ever-changing world – which crumbles and is rebuilt, in life as well as in art – can arouse a sense of instability but also a feeling of readiness and willingness to perform an act of “restarting” that will pave the way for a fresh start.