Trespassing

Curator: Dr. Sigal Barkai

The exhibition "Trespassing" delves into a relatively new phenomenon in Jewish and Palestinian society in Israel: women hailing from a conservative, religious, and patriarchal background, who create bold art that confronts the conventions of the society from which they come. The artists express the unbearable tension between the digital-global sphere that enables their acquaintance with other worlds, and the intensification of oppressive measures against women in their respective communities.

The exhibition will feature the work of 15 women from Palestinian and religious-Jewish societies in Israel which express defiance, anger, a sense of suffocation, and a desire to deviate from the traditional gender roles. The participating artists indicate ways in which the woman's figure is blurred and effaced via psychological and physical means. They protest against the regimentation and subordination of the female body to strict sets of rules that threaten their basic sense of freedom. 

Nevertheless, the participating artists' uniqueness lies in the fact that they voice the criticism from within their communities; they identify with cultural and political ideologies, beliefs, and memories shared by members of that society, yet choose to live and create in a space of personal freedom and critical awareness.

The very presentation of the woman's effaced figure renders her present. The works address complex issues such as democracy and freedom of choice, covering and exposure, gender roles, oppression, discrimination, and the exploitation of women. While these are prevalent themes in global feminist theory, here they are observed through the unique prism of traditionalist and religious Jewish, Druze, and Muslim communities in Israel.

Guided tour in the "Trespassing" exhibition

Participating artists: Rawan Abu Filat, Fatima Abu Roomi, Andi Arnovitz, Miriam Barzesky, Hanna Goldberg, Majda Halabi, Rahmi Hamzi, Hila Karabelnikov-Paz, Leah Leukstein, Yara Mahajena, Hyam Mustafa, Ruba Salameh, Fatma Shanan, Shira Zelwer, Amira Ziyan