Intriguing thought patterns

With a diverse array of exhibitions of contemporary design in various venues around town, Holon offers visitors an innovative look at the world around us.

By ZUZANA BARAK
Metropolis (photo credit: Yonatan Topor)
Metropolis
(photo credit: Yonatan Topor)
For the second year in a row, Holon draws national and international attention as it becomes the hub of graphic, fashion and industrial design in Israel and abroad. To that end, a host of novel exhibitions will be displayed at various galleries and venues in town. The aim: to show people things they have never seen before. The Holon municipality, which is the main sponsor of the exhibitions, was very selective in choosing artists who are passionate about contemporary design and can offer something new and significant in its development.
The 2010-2011 exhibition season will be ushered in on September 4 at 9 p.m. with a series of live performances in Weizmann Square in the heart of the city.
“The Weizmann Rally is not to be missed, even though it is not directly connected to design as such. It will be a spectacular one-off performance that will transform the square into a public space, reviving its traditional role as a place of parades, demonstrations, fiery speeches and spontaneous gatherings,” said one of the organizers, Eyal Danon.
“Today town squares have been reduced to places of advertisement, which is a shame. We have to bring our squares back to their former glory, said Danon, director of the Digital Art Lab in Holon.
The five exhibitions that follow the Weizmann Rally will continue in the same radical and revolutionary vein. “Our priority is to give a platform to young budding Israeli designers who can help us look at the world afresh,” said Rafi Vazana, assistant managing director for art and culture at the Holon municipality.
THE COMMON thread running through the five shows is how we deal with the environment and the materials that surround us.
Ra’anan Stern and Kfir Galatia, exhibiting their pieces in the Beit Meirov Center, will raise new questions about contemporary design. In their show entitled “Distorted Information,” the main focus will be on objects that have been deformed during the course of their production, objects that blur the line between industrial and handmade design.
“Metropolis,” the exhibition at the Holon Theater, will feature the work of talented 11-year-old Yonatan Topor. Despite his battle with Asperger’s syndrome, the young artist manages to uniquely express how he sees the industrialized and busy world we live in and how this world affects his soul and emotions.
The highlight of this art season in Holon, especially for the ladies, will be Ayala Raz’s show entitled “Glamorous Poverty,” which will be shown at the Hankin Gallery. Through her jewelry designs, Raz proves that beautiful accessories do not have to cost a fortune. The retired teacher of fashion design found a way to use the cheapest materials you can imagine – including buttons, ribbons, recycled textile shreds and random pieces of necklaces from friends and flea markets – to create glamorous jewelry that looks both posh and stylish.
“After I retired, I didn’t have a particular plan to manufacture jewelry on a large scale – it just came. I was just the vessel. The more I made, the more I liked it. My friends were thrilled at the idea and supported me in the process. My message is that what is key is the power of design; the materials don’t matter too much. If you are creative, you can create stunning objects from garbage if it comes to that,” she told The Jerusalem Post.
Dov Hoz Boulevard is proud to present a pioneering student exhibition entitled “Post- Trauma,” which will challenge public opinion regarding environmental issues in Israel.
This open space location will display a colorful collection of environmentalist posters criticizing the neglect of the environment through the use of visual and verbal jargon.
“Post-Trauma” was produced as a public manifesto by students from the departments of graphic design from the WIZO Design Academy and the Holon Institute of Technology.
THE EXHIBITION called “Senseware” by Tokyo Fiber is already on display and will close on September 14 at 10 p.m. It is a unique combination of the best pieces produced by 17 artists from various professional backgrounds – architects, designers and craftsmen who all share a fascination in experimenting with the processing and usage of synthetic fibers in new and unexpected ways.
What should viewers expect to see at an exhibition called “Senseware”? Exhibition director Kenya Hara explained, ”I define it as matter that stirs the human creative instinct and awakens the desire to make things. The exhibition gives us a glimpse of what the future may hold. That is why visitors will find it intriguing and inspiring.”
Visitors may appreciate the fact that there will be a regular shuttle between the exhibitions so they will not have to worry about their own transportation.