City Notes: TechnoArt conference takes Tel Aviv

By COMPILEDJULIE STEIGERWALD
Athletes are poised for action at the starting line of one of the three stages of the Eilat Triathlon (photo credit: ISRAEL TRIATHLON)
Athletes are poised for action at the starting line of one of the three stages of the Eilat Triathlon
(photo credit: ISRAEL TRIATHLON)
CENTER
Leaders from the technology and innovation fields will rub shoulders with artists during the interactive TechnoArt extravaganza taking place in Tel Aviv from December 13 to 15.
Hosted by the Tel Aviv Museum of Modern Art, the three-day symposium will serve as a meeting point for thousands of anticipated attendees, including entrepreneurs in the digital landscape, venture capitalists, developers and artists.
The conference, described as Tel Aviv’s first arttech hub, will feature keynote speakers from top-tier corporations such as Viacom, PayPal, Samsung and KPMG. The event will also showcase an artistic display that demonstrates the fusion of music, art and technology and the impact of technological innovation on today’s art industry.
The conference will also present a series of panels involving international artists, designers and industry leaders. Renowned architect Charles Renfro and six-time Grammy nominee/winner Steve Greenberg are among panel leaders who will address the participants.
Palestinian painting expo on display in Jaffa
The Jaffa Salon of Art in the Jaffa Port is hosting an exhibition of the works of three aspiring Palestinian artists.
The show “Palestine in Oil and Acrylic” is set to run from Thursday, November 24, to Saturday, November 26, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Presented in coordination with Palestine House Tel Aviv, the exhibition displays the wares of painters Ahlam al-Faqih, Zoha Salahelden and Rania Amodi.
Faqih, from the village of Katanna near Jerusalem, regards her works as “colors mixed with happiness.”
The theme of her works primarily relates to Palestinian folklore and the city of Jerusalem.
Ramallah native Salahelden heads the Jothour Artistic Group, with which she has exhibited her works in three solo exhibitions and two collective shows.
Hailing from the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, Amodi discovered art at an early age and later worked as an art teacher in Ramallah and published comic books and illustrations. She has published a book of her works on Jerusalem and has participated in various exhibitions ranging from Nazareth to Dubai.
NORTH
Haifa updates city app after quake
The Haifa Municipality has added a function to its “Haifa at the touch of a finger” app to connect with residents in the event of an emergency, city hall announced Sunday after a small earthquake shook the northern region of the country.
No damage or injuries were reported from the 3.6-magnitude tremor that had its epicenter located in southern Lebanon.
The update to Haifa’s municipal services app is compatible with Apple and Android smartphones. The technology allows municipal and rescue workers to contact residents during emergencies and provide them with updates and information on how receive emergency aid.
Honduran ship fined NIS 90,000 for Haifa Port contamination
A Haifa court has fined a Honduran shipping company NIS 90,000 for contaminating sea waters in Haifa with oil pollutants, the Environmental Protection Ministry announced Monday.
An indictment against Beccaria Shipping was filed with the Haifa Magistrate’s Court after the ministry’s Marine Environment Protection Division found faulty registration of the oil used by general cargo vessels owned by the company in Haifa Port.
The erroneous registration of the ships’ oil rendered the vessels suspect to releasing oils in the sea and polluting the waters. The NIS 90,000 fine was settled by the company in a plea bargain.
SOUTH
Eilat triathlon races into town
Eilat is scheduled to hold its 30th annual triathlon on December 2. Hundreds of athletes from Israel and around the world are expected to take part in the three-stage competition of swimming, running and cycling.
The Eilat Isrotel Sport Club Triathlon will include competitions for adults and children. Events related to the triathlon will also take place on December 1 and 3. Registration for the race is open until November 27.
Dead Sea to get new high-end mall
The Dead Sea may be the lowest place on Earth, but it’s getting a high-end upgrade.
After five years in the making, a more than NIS 1 billion project was launched this month to start construction of the Dead Sea Mall.
The transformative venture, including the development of a sweeping promenade along the shores of the Dead Sea, is due to be unveiled in the summer of 2017.
The approximately 15,000-square-meter mall, developed by the international real-estate firm Barclays, is situated at Ein Bokek.