I just read that the famed anonymous British graffiti artist Banksy is mounting his largest project to date: an unusual showcasing of his work at England’s Bristol Museum. Although this particular project was legit, it still bears the hallmarks of Banksy’s trademark guerrilla approach:
He filled three stories of the building with [...]
Archive for the ‘Art’ Category
Banksy and the Art of Protest
Posted in Art, Great Britain, Israel, Palestine on June 30, 2009 | 2 Comments »
The Ottomans: Gone But Not Forgotten
Posted in Art, Great Britain, Greece, Israel, Palestine on June 22, 2009 | 3 Comments »
Read an interesting article in the NY Times Saturday about the new $200 million museum opening in Athens. Apparently there is now hope in Greece that it will become the permanent home for the Parthenon Marbles – an ancient frieze from the Parthenon that was taken by the British in the early 19th century.
Toward [...]
Theater of Crisis in Israel/Palestine
Posted in Art, Holocaust, Israel, Palestine, Politics, Theater on December 25, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
It seems that two remarkable, powerfully self-reflective theater productions are currently being staged in the same little patch of land: “Gaza-Ramallah,” a Palestinian play produced by The Haya Theater in Ramallah; and “Bat-Yam-Tykocin,” staged jointly by The Habima Theater and the Contemporary Theater of Wroclaw in Tel Aviv.
For its part, “Gaza-Ramallah” appears to skewer [...]
Spertus Moves Back to the Edge
Posted in Art, Judaism, Religion on October 21, 2008 | 1 Comment »
After their last edgy exhibition was shut down by the Chicago Federation, the Spertus Museum has come back undaunted with “Twisted Into Recognition: Cliches of Jews and Others.” Their latest offering, which comes from the Jewish Museums of Berlin and Vienna,
explores the ways images and objects that depict stereotypes are seen, perceived, and classified. Stereotypes [...]
Arab-Israeli Cultural Correspondence
Posted in Art, Israel, Palestine on September 17, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The first exhibit of Arab-Israeli art to appear in Israel has just opened at the L.A. Mayer Museum for Islamic Art in Jerusalem. Entitled “Correspondence,” it features the art of 13 Arab-Israeli artists who explore the cultural tensions inherent experienced by Palestinian citizens of Israel.
According to the Mayer’s description of the exhibit:
“Correspondence” attempts to reveal [...]
Death of a Palestinian Poet
Posted in Art, Current Events, Israel, Palestine, Politics on August 10, 2008 | 4 Comments »
Just read of the death of the prominent Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish in Houston following heart surgery. An incalculable loss for the Palestinian people and the world.
Speaking as an American Jew, Darwish’s poetry gave me an invaluable entry point into the Palestinian cultural soul. I do believe that in addition to his importance as [...]
Big Honors For “Exit Wounds”
Posted in Art, Books, Books You Should Read, Israel, Literature on July 31, 2008 | 1 Comment »
I just read in Ha’aretz that Israeli artist/writer Rutu Modan’s “Exit Wounds,” has won the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for best graphic novel, apparently the highest award a graphic novel can receive in the US.
I’d say it’s a richly deserved honor. It’s a wonderfully drawn and multi-layered book; the plot focuses on a young [...]
The Buckling of Spertus
Posted in American Judaism, Art, Israel, Palestine, Politics/Middle East, Zionism on June 22, 2008 | 12 Comments »
Sad news for the Jewish community of Chicago, for Jews everywhere…
“Imaginary Coordinates,” an exhibit at the Spertus Museum has closed down due to pressure from the Jewish United Fund of Greater Chicago. “Coordinates” explored historical maps of Israel/Palestine not simply as navigational devices but as tools that can “manipulate an outcome” and serve as “products [...]
Offering Reconciliation
Posted in Art, Coexistence, Israel, Palestine, Peace on November 5, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
I had the very good fortune yesterday to attend the final day of “Offering Reconciliation,”an art exhibit sponsored by The Parent’s Circle/Bereaved Families Forum – an important Israeli-Palestinian coexistence organization of which I have written before on this blog.
This exhibit, which has traveled extensively around the US and has been been shown at the World [...]
People You Should Know About: Maya Escobar
Posted in American Judaism, Art, Judaism, People You Should Know About, Women's Issues on March 18, 2007 | 3 Comments »
Meet Maya Escobar: a talented young interdisciplinary artist, JRC member who grew up in our congregation, soon-to-be graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago (and regular commenter on this blog…)
Here is Maya’s artist’s statement, which will give you a good sense of the artistic depth and intensely personal power of her work:
Through the performance of [...]
