“Returning to Nature,” a new circular sculpture path opened October 19th at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens.
And because most people can’t visit during the pandemic, the contemporary art exhibition can also be experienced virtually. Click here.
“The title of the project indicates a return to the outside after a long period of closure due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, but also a dimension of return to nature present in the local sculptural language,” says Returning to Nature curator Hadas Maor.
“In this context, the project reveals constant movement between works that rely on the use of defined outlines and heavy materials like iron or bronze, and works that use synthetic materials like rubber, latex or polyester, as well as softened and rounded forms.”
The collection includes works by established Israeli artists including Menashe Kadishman, Dani Karavan, Tsibi Geva, Yehudit Sasportas and Sigalit Landau.
There are also works by Ella Littwitz, Yaara Zach, Moshe Roas, Saher Miari, Eitan Ben Moshe, Yaacov Dorchin, Eli Gur Arie and Guy Zagursky.
Two works were produced especially for the show, with the support of Outset Fund for Contemporary Art.
One is a sound installation by Maya Dunietz, which responds to the murmurs and voices of the garden.
The other is the first presentation in Israel of a chapter from the Liquid Desert project by Yehudit Sasportas, part of which was shown in Germany in January 2019.
The 15 works of different sizes are spread throughout the garden, some more visible and others hidden from sight. Maor said this was done purposely, to encourage visitors to follow a circular path on which they can discover both the plants and the art.
Some of the sculptures foster a dialogue with their natural surroundings, while others stand out from the natural environment, she added.
Additional support for the project was provided by the Jerusalem municipality, the Jerusalem Foundation and British Friends of the Art Museums of Israel.
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