Exhibitions

In prehistoric times, human beings and animals roamed the Earth as equals. Like the animals, human beings were subject to the forces of nature, adapting to far-reaching climate change, wandering in search of water and food, hunting and being hunted.

The desire for objects, the passion for "shopping," is translated today into a popular pastime. Indeed, a large part of happy humanity solemnly attends the rituals of consumption, equipped with credit cards. Its goal is to find meaning and discover a new identity: "I consume, therefore I am"; I am inseparable from a large group of happy beings – consumers of merchandise and opportunities.

The variety of works presented seeks to emphasize that trash is one of the central elements in contemporary culture, both in daily life and in a subversive, theoretical context. The term "trash culture" denotes the view of trash as a necessary side effect of a capitalist society intent on the increased production of food, of commodities, and of ideas. As production soars, so does trash. In contemporary art, then, "trash" has become an idiom defining a cultural condition and shaping some of the channels of discourse pursued in the culture.

The works in the show reflect a conceptual connection between glitter and seduction, superficiality and fragility, while also representing the "want of matter" in Israeli art. Familiar classical motifs are presented as victims of Western consumer culture, which turns every cultural element – even sacred icons – into an object manufactured on a uniform production line. The different means of representation reflect a critical engagement with the world of obsessive consumption that has swept up Israeli society in general, and the field of art in particular.

The exhibition seeks to reflect the complexity involved in the symbolic value of the automotive world and the clash between the different spheres. Some of the works emphasize the use of the automobile in mapping out gender roles. These works challenge familiar cliches from the world of advertising, which tend to depict cars as objects similar to women – compliant and submissive. The works highlight the transformation of the automobile into a fantasy.

This exhibition focuses on the responses of contemporary artists to issues of religion and faith in the contemporary global reality, which is dominated by the consumer culture.