Special Gratitude to JNF-USA donors:
Arik and Emily Shteinhauz
& to Mitzi Kaitz
For making this exhibit possible
“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude” – Friedrich Nietzsche
Special thank you to:
Ann K. Stehney
The family of Leon Begleiter
The family of Beatrice Taxey Katz
Deborah Lust Zauda & Jeffrey Zaluda
Gloria Slass & Family in memory of Clara & Eric Billig
The family of Jonathan H. Gillman
Miles & Judy Josephson
The Curator’s Words:
There is something ceremonious about the exhibition before you, with touches of shamanism. Be it an object or action, the art displayed gives a sense as if something historic, mystic, religious, even pagan just happened or is about to happen.
The works are an echo or vice versa, a telling of a significant event – lifechanging.
Their purpose is to awaken, excite, represent, predict or, possibly warn? I can’t predict the wind’s direction but something unsettling is happening around.
The ticking of the clock can be heard, but the moment is also frozen in time. Current times have revealed this historic and unusual happening to be present reality. What we’re currently experiencing divides our timeline into Before and After, and suddenly the long time spent in the happening, between past and future, summons a different outlook on the artists’ creations on display.
The works of four artists from the Western Galilee serve as transitional objects, as ways to face the unknown and what was lost.
Jack Jano’s houses/books stand tall from the pages of history, haunted by fate. Cultural refugees in an endless journey, houses/creatures packing suitcases and bags and sailing or spinning in search of a different landscape, terra incognita, knowing that the wind will change, grow stronger and push out again.
Batya Margalit’s works push their own limit, as if looking to be broken. Not as a heroic act but as a type of silent self-discovery.
How thin can a neck be and still support a head?
How fragile can one become and still live?
The thin fragile glass can cut deeply, a short way from glass to blood. The fragile state takes on a cutting power because it is so fragile. Batya pushes this fragile glass to the extreme: image is secondary to matter, matter stretches to the highest sound and freezes on the move.
Alon Gil’s sculptures encompass the world of decorative figurines and in the same breath go against it. Gil’s pagan alter gives rise to visions that would make the porcelain figurines turn in their bourgeois graves.
The world has changed: romance is suspicious, naivety is covered in cynicism, innocence is being exploited. The urn is full of ashes, the crow does not bear good news and don’t look for coins in a fountain between a donkey’s legs.
Lily Poran’s works are like black gems. Individual. Mined from deep within her soul and put together in a chain of memories and longing, fears and desires, dreams and their shatter. Galia Bar-Or wrote the following on Poran’s work, exhibited at Mishkan Museum of Art Ein Harod: “In her work, Lily Poran draws on qualities from folklore and archeology, deep in her work are private layers, an alternative world full of fantasy, exhibiting power and dread in the materials and their endless combinations. These little objects, in the strength they portray, resemble ritualistic artifacts or places one believes to carry spiritual power.”
I end my words here and ask you to read Lily’s text, a gem all on its own.
Asia Dublin is a curator, designer and jeweler living in Adamit in the Western Galilee.
Today she is also involved in architectural and interior design, both of which are characterized by her own eclectic style.
Over the past few years Asia has initiated and produced various projects in the Western Galilee including exhibitions in private and public venues such as:
Kibbutz Lohamey Ha’Getaot, Cabri Gallery, Rosh Hanikra Gallery and more.
Asia is involved in the restoration and preservation of “The Painted House” in the village of Shlomi
Born in Jerusalem, lives in the Galilee
Bezalel graduate, lives and creates in Clil ecological village, Western Galilee
Bezalel graduate, works mainly with glass, See movement and video art. She lives and creates in Clil ecological village, Western Galilee
Bezalel graduate, lives and creates in Clil ecological village, Western Galilee
Greetings:
Dr. Sol Lizerbram
President, JNF-USA
“Following the success of the last three art exhibitions at the Space Gallery in the JNF Western Galilee Tourist Information Center, it is a privilege to be a part of “Northern Wind,” the gallery’s latest installation. Reimagining many long-forgotten Galilean traditions, “Northern Wind” serves as a reminder of the rich and ancient cultural significance of the Western Galilee. Although the world has changed throughout generations and centuries, the messages expressed by these four artists show us that the essence of our lives remains constant, as seen through Galilean history. Since the start of our partnership with Western Galilee Now, JNF-USA has been in constant awe discovering how much the region has to offer, and are looking forward to revisit the magic of the North together with you.”
Deb Lust Zaluda
Chair, Go North Western and Eastern Galilee Task Force
Congratulations, Mazal Tov and Mabruk from Go North West to the exhibitors in the new exhibit, “NORTHERN WIND”, at the Space Gallery located in the JNF-USA Western Galilee Tourist Information Center in Old Akko. This exhibit represents the fragility of all that we hold dear, as we look ahead to the winds of change with hope – hope that we will soon reach the other side of this crazy time having survived, perhaps becoming stronger than ever. Thank you to JNF-USA and our Go North West Task Force for all you do in making this happen.
Russell F. Robinson
Chief Executive Officer, JNF-USA
“Israel’s northern region is a hidden gem, filled with mysteries and beauty that are constantly being unearthed at the Space Gallery. “Northern Wind” is another kaleidoscopic view of the cultural depth of the Western Galilee, and we are proud to share it with you. Jewish National Fund-USA recognizes the importance of preserving the past and strengthening the future of the Galilee through our Go North initiative, sharing the magic of the Galilee with visitors from around the world, and helping to bring new residents to be a part of its ongoing story for generations to come.”
Eric Michelson
Chief Israel Officer, JNF
Even during a world pandemic, Jewish National Fund USA continues to support Western Galilee Now and all its members, and the JNF-USA Tourist Information Center continues to carry out the highly significant role as the gateway to the North. This new and invigorating exhibition, “Northern Wind”, is a living proof of Jewish National Fund USA’s ongoing efforts to stand here with this important region of Israel, its residents and its artists; no matter what. We will continue to work tirelessly with Western Galilee Now and do everything to ensure the prosperity of the Western Galilee, both to get through these challenging times and to continue thriving tomorrow and beyond.
Michal Shiloah Galnoor
CEO, Western Galilee Now – small businesses consortium
Northern winds are blowing, carrying word of living, sustainable art. Thanks to the awe-inspiring support of Jewish National Fund – USA and especially its Go North West Task Force and the wonderful people behind it, we are able to keep encouraging and creating art, culture and tourism in our area, even nowadays.
The Space Galley in JNF Western Galilee Tourist Information Center, which is run by Western Galilee Now – Small Business Consortium, is proud to open and present a new exhibition by 4 Galilean artists, individually chosen by our curator, Asia Dublin.
As it opens, the exhibition will stream virtually at: akkoinfo.westagalil.org.il
I want to wholeheartedly thank our friends in the US – visionaries and believers who not only believe but also act by contributing to the Galilee’s development, for they know that thanks to their help today – we will be here tomorrow!