In a time marked by political tensions and social upheaval, artists Gili Avissar and Tamar Harpaz from Israel invite us to delve deep into their new installation at the Kunstverein Dresden. Curated by Maja Gratzfeld, an artist who studied at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts and now lives in Israel, this exhibition presents a striking combination of fabric, glass, and light, creating an ambience of fragility and contemplation that reminds us of the vulnerability of the day to day life. 

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Bound by a twenty-year friendship forged during their studies in Jerusalem, Avissar and Harpaz have long sought to collaborate on an exhibition. Working closely together the artists created new works specifically for the Kunstverein Dresden to bring their shared vision to life.

 

Tamar Harpaz’s work is characterized by sharp angles, transparent glass, and reflective surfaces. Her installations are intricate narratives, each object a piece of a larger puzzle. As viewers, we navigate these spaces cautiously, aware of the fragile nature of the objects. Our reflections become part of the artwork, fracturing the world into the real and the imagined.

In contrast, Gili Avissar’s work invites tactile engagement. Soft, colorful, and abstract, these objects are extensions of the artist’s own body. They lack a clear beginning or end, inviting viewers to explore their form and texture.

 

Now, for the first time, these two distinct artistic languages converge. Gili’s soft forms are transformed into readymades, suspended within Tamar’s sharp, glass structures. This juxtaposition of soft and hard, organic and geometric, creates a new reality, a space where the personal and the political intersect.

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A diverse accompanying program with panels and workshops rounds off the exhibition, providing opportunities for exchange, discussion. Through art, we can find solace, inspiration, and the strength to create a more just and equitable future.