For thousands of years, mankind has used ceramic pottery to store, cook and dine on food. In honor of our long relationship with fired and glazed clay, the Ceramic Artists Association of Israel presents “The Banquet”, an exhibition that invites viewers into a multi-sensory experience celebrating food and the ceremonies around it.

The 3-story gallery space is laid out like several banquet halls, with viewers playing the role of dinner guests — even the catalog is set up like a menu from appetizers to dessert.

 Jacaranda Kori – Fountain of Abundance

Opening night activities ranged from feasting on fruit using innovative cutlery in the gallery courtyard to a rooftop feast in the company of refugees from Eritrea and Sudan.

 Rani Gilat – Audrey

According to the organizers, The Banquet “explores the role of food, eating and cooking in contemporary culture; the popularity of cooking shows, increasing awareness of what we eat and where food comes from, to the global political and social aspects of hunger.”

 Yael Novak – Cornucopia 2014

“The feast is not only a meal, it is a play, a major event in all senses of the user experience…

 Ronit Baranga – Self Feeding series

“Flavors are absorbed not through the mouth but rather through the senses of smell, hearing and sight and heartbeat.”

 Michal Klasovsky – Untitled

The Ceramic Artists Association was established to promote public awareness of ceramic arts both in Israel and abroad, and to expose its members to other fields of art throughout the world, broaden their horizons and offer knowledge in innovative and new techniques. Activities include the Israeli Biennial for Ceramics at the Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv; workshops, lectures, artist exchanges, support for young artists, website, newsletter and a publication, 1280°c Journal of Ceramics.

 Boris Katz – Cornucopia

“The Banquet” closes September 6. For more information about the show and  Ceramic Artists Association of Israel, visit their website at http://israel-ceramics.org/.