Gallery Gluttony

The Jerusalem Art season officially begins every September.

By ANDREW TOBIN
jlem art 224.88 (photo credit: Courtesy)
jlem art 224.88
(photo credit: Courtesy)
The Jerusalem Art season officially begins every September. If this is not common knowledge, it is partially due to the fact that it has never been given much of an introduction. This year, however, the Jerusalem art community has collaborated to create Lift-Off: Jerusalem Art Season Opening, the largest art initiative in the considerable history of the city. Nineteen downtown, Talpiot, and Malcha area galleries and exhibition spaces will host a variety of free artistic events, including video and music performances, film screenings, lectures, neighborhood tours and instructional workshops. "This initiative is intended to display the diversity of exciting Israeli art that is available in Jerusalem right now," says event coordinator Lihi Shuluv. The festivities, running from September 11-28, commence with all the exhibits opening simultaneously. Many of them will have special divertissements in honor of the occasion, and transportation between sites is available. Haoman 17 provides the location of the Thursday night opening party for some less-refined cultural consumption. Many established galleries will hold exhibitions as part of Lift-Off. On the evening of September 16, a group of young artists presents a video and animation marathon in the garden of the Israel Museum's Ticho House. The current display, Signs of Life, will also remain open. At the same time, the Eden House will host a complimentary visual extravaganza down the street. Art is featured in some less traditional venues as well. Coresh 14 is a government-housing complex that Vered Hadad and a group of other art students transformed into a series of art installments last year. On September 13, they celebrate the first anniversary of the project, as well as the beginning of a new effort to extend its scope. There will be sculptures, paintings, videos and sound performances. Lift-Off appropriately begins and ends in Talpiot, a neighborhood that overlooks all of Jerusalem. The event promises to afford art enthusiasts a unique opportunity to easily survey the city's art scene. For a listing of participating galleries and schedule information visit shumma.com or call (054) 454-5868.