Two duos of Haifa artists – Erez and Ziv Shim from the Sira Collective and Maria Feigin and Gaya Blouri from Studio Yarantek – are participating in a pop-up exhibition that will open in mid-February at Tel Aviv’s Ifreal Hotel. The exhibition is curated by Yara Zaks who has already signed two exhibitions that were held in different buildings before the demolition and were a resounding success
Published on: 20.1.23 08:00
50 artists from different fields took over 37 rooms and other spaces of the old Imperial Hotel in central Tel Aviv, and turned them into their own wonderland – of a new, immersive world full of magic and art. The hotel will open its doors to the public on February 9 for a new pop-up exhibition called “Neverland” by curator Yara Zacks (the curator of the POP-UP MUSEUM TLV exhibitions that took place in various buildings in Tel Aviv and were a resounding success), and the audience will be invited to get lost between the three floors of the hotel and the rooms and experience a first-of-its-kind art experience in Israel.
Young up-and-coming artists and designers from the fields of visual art, sound, art directors, graffiti, street art, video art, animation, decor and installations participate in the exhibition, andHaifa is represented by two couples.
The first duo is the designer brothers Erez and Ziv Shim from the Sira collective in the Sirkin 21 complex in Talpiot market. The two covered a staircase connecting the three floors of the hotel with graffiti – a job that lasted three consecutive days. The other duo is Maria Feigin and Gaia Balori from Yarentek Studio in Wadi Nisnas, which specializes in the design and production of handmade carpets. The two covered an entire room – the four walls, the floor and the ceiling – with 500 blue eyes against the evil eye.
Erez is happy, that this is the third time he has participated in a pop-up by curator Zacks: “Our work focuses on what is not there, in the inner space of things. Like in a letter or a form, to look at the lack as a plus and see new things in it. The stairs are divided into two narratives – the yellow paintings – Greens are Ziv’s, and the red-blue paintings are mine. The encounters between the paintings emphasize the new spaces that are revealed to us, like the inner space that exists in the elements of life.”
You have another job at the exhibition.
“That’s right, there are two more giant inflatable dolls that will be outside on the roof of the building, and this is only my work. It’s the ‘swimmer’ – a character I’ve been running with for a while and doing all kinds of things with – short comics, murals, stickers and more. In these dolls you see two Swimmers who are high up, sit and climb the building towards the clouds, connect with nature and understand the direct connection between our actions and life – to the clouds that will bring down water so that we can swim in them. The swimmer is usually with a hat over his eyes and tries to swim in this world, also the one outside. This is a metaphor For the fact that we were small and covered our eyes and thought we weren’t seen, but we are. Others see us, and more than that – we see ourselves.”
The staircase painted by Erez and Ziv Shim (photo: Hagit Hornstein)
The eye room is in the process of working
Yerentak Studio was founded by Fagin and Blory out of a desire to create and work with their hands. They aim to take the carpet out of the square frame and turn it into a colorful, formal, fun and refreshing item that can fit into any space and add texture and uniqueness to it. They adhere to high-quality, environmentally friendly raw materials and no animal products.
Blury, why eyes?
“When we received the calling voice, we knew that this was an opportunity to create something on a very large and impressive scale, and of course it is quite a challenge. The tufting technique with which we work allows us to create carpets in countless patterns, sizes and shapes, so we came up with a lot of ideas before choosing with our eyes.”
According to her, “eyes have always been a significant symbol in a variety of cultures and religions. If in the past eyes symbolized spirituality, emotion and enlightenment, it seems that today they also have a negative connotation, being a symbol of intrusion into a person’s privacy – big brother, hidden cameras, privacy that is increasingly being taken away from us and a feeling that we are always under a watchful eye, even in our safest place. Today, a significant part of communication is done virtually, which does not require the person to experience intimacy. However, today more than ever we are dominated by the desire to be the center of attention. To get as many followers and likes as possible, sometimes obsessively, and to be exposed to the audience as much as possible. which is wider. According to belief, the color blue is useful against the evil eye, pests and spirits, as is the shape of the eye itself. There is a deep contrast between the eye being a voyeur, penetrating and disturbing and being a symbol against exactly these things.”
How long did it take you to make all the eyes?
“We started producing them as soon as we received the OK from the curator, at the end of November. We created close to 500 eyes that are divided into six types in different shapes, with the type of eye affecting its location in the room. Building the room was a complex but very satisfying process, which instilled in us a desire to develop into a place of designing spaces and creating installations By using our carpets together with other mediums.”
Can you estimate the quantities of the raw materials?
“About 250 rolls of wool, about 1,000 nails, about 26 liters of glue and about 30 meters of fabric with a width of one and a half meters.”
Imperial Hotel, 66 Yarakon (corner of Trumpeldor), Tel Aviv. Entry to the exhibition is by purchasing a ticket in advance only. The price: NIS 119 (free entry for children up to 3 years old). To purchase tickets: to-mix website
Maria Feigin and Gaia Blouri from Yarentak Studio