Contemporary art at Sderot's open market
Exhibit that seeks to explore relation between art and war to open at town center
An unusual exhibit titled, "City of Refuge" will open on August 6 at Sderot's open market and feature dozens of works and performances by Israeli artists. The exhibit seeks to explore "the affect of weapon systems on society and art."
Work by Freddie Kislev
The questions that stand at the heart of the exhibit are what is the relation between art and fortified areas and how does architecture and political circumstances affect the venue in which art is created and showcased.
The curators of the exhibit, students at the Arts Department at the Sapir College near Sderot, wrote about the exhibit: "The political situation in Israel has transformed 'Sderot' into a town with a 'disturbed' appearance.
Work by Nurit Sharet
"Unlike the underground shelters that characterize the Israeli construction in central Israel, in Sderot above-ground shelters have been built and are scattered across town.
"To paraphrase Gustave Flaubert's words that 'the larger the telescope, the more numerous the stars,' in Israel one might think that at certain periods the more shelters there are, the more art is being produced. The project aims to present contemporary art that deals with the portable shelters built in Sderot."
