Water, Heart, Face

Curator: Avital Naor Wexler

Artists: Aharon Kritzer \ Alma Shneor \ Carolina Bonfil \ Debbie Kampel \ Eliad Landau \ Eliran Jan \ Einat Arif-Galanti \ Gideon Rubin \ Merav Shin Ben-Alon \ Matan Ben Tolila \ Noa Arad Yairi \ Renana Salmon \ Shulamit Etsion \ Vered Aharonovitch \ Yoni Salmon \ Yifat Shtainmetz Hirst

"As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart" (Proverbs 27:19)

This verse from Proverbs describes a meeting between people as a moment that brings reflection, a moment when a person can see his face in the other as if it were his own reflection in the water. The choice of water for the imagery rather than a mirror, in which the reflection is shallow and objective, implies the special qualities of water: depth, movement, the ability to spread and descend to a low and hidden place, to change form, to change its state of matter and to rage in a storm.

Water as a platform for reflection is reminiscent of the famous myth of Narcissus - the handsome young stripling who was adored by anyone who laid eyes on him but did not accept their love. When Narcissus saw his reflection in the water of the pond, he fell in love with it and could not leave its sight until he died.

The verse from Proverbs can be interpreted in two ways: first, in light of the myth of Narcissus, as in the tendency to find oneself in the face of the other, which stems from an inner search but can possibly result in destructive self-love. The second meaning proposes that the person be the lake that reflects the other's face, and allow a reciprocal encounter that inspires love and kinship.

The concept of reflection holds an important role in philosophical-ethical and psychological thought - Buber, Levinas, Freud, Lacan, and others. It seems that the people’s narcissistic propensity to be self-centered, immersed in self-love and obsessed with their inner aesthetics is an important part of the solidification of a person’s identity. But it may also lead him, symbolically, to his death, that is, to the vanishing of his ability to love and be loved.

The craft of creating art requires concentration, devotion, self-love and the artist’s confidence in his uniqueness and basic human desire to connect with the other observer and gain his approval. This duality is especially apparent in the self-portrait, in which the artist, like Narcissus, looks at his reflection and creates another reflection of himself in the artwork. But at the same time, he wishes to present his portrait to the viewer and gain his approval. The exhibit examines the space between the work, the viewer and the artist and postulates whether the work pleases the viewer because it allows him to discover his own face or because it provides a glimpse into the artist's inner world.

venue: The Bezeq Building

Debbie Kampel, Waterboys, Oil on canvas, 2009

Gideon Rubin, Untitled, Gouache on paper, 2013

Renene Salmon, Apple of my eye, oil on canvas, 2017