The vision
This exhibition explores Israeli society’s relationship with the notion of “authenticity” through the medium of embroidery. Once regarded as souvenirs that embodied the region’s cultural heritage, embroidered pieces today are mass produced, designed to mimic the aura of authenticity while remaining inherently artificial.
This exhibition explores Israeli society’s relationship with the notion of “authenticity” through the medium of embroidery. Once regarded as souvenirs that embodied the region’s cultural heritage, embroidered pieces today are mass produced, designed to mimic the aura of authenticity while remaining inherently artificial.
Construction diagram for the arch (the entrance gate to the exhibition)
The exhibition focuses on the craft of embroidery through the lens of past versus present: once a traditional, slow, and authentic practice made by hand, now transformed into an artificial craft of industrial production.
The exhibits
The works raise questions such as: Can an embroidered patch of Israel still be considered a genuine souvenir if it is manufactured in China? Could velvet slippers truly belong to a Bedouin woman in the desert? And is an item deemed ‘authentic’ because of its local origin, or because it is crafted by hand?
The works raise questions such as: Can an embroidered patch of Israel still be considered a genuine souvenir if it is manufactured in China? Could velvet slippers truly belong to a Bedouin woman in the desert? And is an item deemed ‘authentic’ because of its local origin, or because it is crafted by hand?
References
Pixelization
modernization
Hiding / leading the eye
Unexpected use in embroidery
Made in a collaboration with Tal Levy-Yariv, as part of "Storytelling in Space" course. Guidance by Sonja Olitsky, Bezalel Academy