Shahar Kramer, who lives on the line of Tel Aviv New York, is only 28 years old and is already considered one of the most successful Israeli artists in the international art scene, who is developing and gaining momentum and popularity especially in recent years after the Corona epidemic. Originally from Tel Aviv, she majored in theater and completed her bachelor’s degree in art with honors at The School of Visual Arts, New York. Her works were presented in group exhibitions at Konstrom Gallery, Brooklyn, Liechtenstein, Leipzig, Tel Aviv Museum, Israel, Alta Handelschule, Leipzig, Cinematek Tel Aviv, and a solo exhibition at the new media art 2020 conference, at the CICA Museum in South Korea.
These days a special issue in Hebrew of the magazine Granta, an international literary journal, which was founded in Cambridge in 1889 and has been a worldwide success since then, is being published. It is published every year in dozens of countries and in ten languages, and Kramer is the editor of its art section in the Hebrew version. “I am first of all an artist myself” she says, “the combination between curating, editing, writing, and collaborations are actually the mix of my art.” The last issue was worked on by the Israeli team from 2020 when it is entirely dedicated to Indian culture. “It was like flying abroad through art, there was something very special about it.”
Kramer, recently returned from a residency in Germany where she created and exhibited, and opened a successful exhibition in New York called “Empty Space” together with the artist Leni Gaunt in the heart of the Corona lockdown period. The empty space was an experimental and social hub for artists during one of the most difficult times in the industry and for the local community.
Shahar Kramer’s creation (Photo: Shahar Kramer)
Shahar Kramer’s creation (Photo: Shahar Kramer)
“This was a store that was closed during the Corona period, and we were able to convince the owner of the place to let us exhibit there until she found new tenants. The store had a large showcase that created the required distance, which allowed us to invite artists to present exhibitions and performances during the closures.”
She still comes to Israel to exhibit here and take part in projects, but says she doesn’t have one permanent place. “I always try to go out. I am very interested in the connections through art specifically on the global stage, and the collaboration with the people.”
How do you define your art?
“Multidisciplinary. More production, I usually have the hat of the producer, and I do projects with artists, curator, editor. I like to take all the parts of the creation, whether behind the scenes or in the front, and combine them.”
Alongside art, Kramer is a board member of the activist performance artist Betsy Damon’s non-profit organization Keepers of the Waters. The organization works to raise awareness of the quality of water in the world, inviting artists, intellectuals, scientists, and anyone interested in the project to participate in the project in order to cross borders through bodies of water.
Shahar Kramer’s creation (Photo: Shahar Kramer)
Shahar Kramer’s creation (Photo: Shahar Kramer)
“From my perspective, the world of art is a communal world and its power is there, so the combination of things creates a greater impact. I am always looking to do things in a slightly different way. Even within my works, I am always interested in the place where art can connect with life and activate things, even in preserving the water and awareness of water cleanliness.”
Kramer continues her work through visionary women, and one of the significant things in the projects she creates is the importance of intergenerational dialogue, of collaboration between artists, and the platform is connected to the organization, but also operates in its own right as a project of its own initiative.