Eiyna: Israeli Contemporary Art in Geneva
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Eiyna: Israeli Contemporary Art in Geneva

  •   21 September - 17 November 2018
  • 9/21/2018
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    Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, the exhibition Eiyna showcases works by 8 contemporary Israeli artists, in the heart of the old-city of Geneva.

    Discover it at the Arvera's ​Gallery from 21 Sept. to 17 Nov. 2018, an exhibition curated by Merav Katri.
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    ​The opening of the exhitbion took place on September 20, 2018, in presence of 250 guests, including 40 Ambassadors and Heads of International Organizations.

    Ambassador Aviva Raz Shechter said "When celebrating our 70th anniversary, Israeli art is yet another dimension of Israel: a place of freedom of expression, diversity and creativity. Each and every artist brings his or her own world into his artistic work. It reflects the impact the society he lives in, his personal story, his culture and religious roots.

    At the same time, I am sure that each one of you will be able to interpret and digest the work presented here in a very personal way.

    When talking about art, you can say that is in the eyes of the beholder –both the artist and the spectator – that the meaning, the emotion take shape."

     
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  • EIYNA

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    ​“Collect yourself and reflect, for things are not as you thought following the first notion that occurred to you, but rather as is made clear through reflection…”
    (Maimonides/The Guide for the Perplexed, Part I, Chapter II)

    Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel, the exhibition showcases works by 9 contemporary Israeli artists: Maya Attoun, Yifat Bezalel, Rafael Y. Herman, Yitzhak Livneh, Rami Maymon, Tatyana Nazarenko, Sasha Serber, Guy Zagursky & Shira Zelwer.

    Eiyna is an Aramaic word for the Hebrew letter Ayin which also means eye. All the letters in the Hebrew alphabet carry a numerical value known as “Gematria”, which were ascribed a mystical meaning in the esoteric Jewish tradition. The assigned numerical value of the letter Ayin is 70, which is a number of great significance in Judaism. For instance, there are 70 different perspectives of the Torah as well as 70 names for Jerusalem.

    The letter Eiyna, Ayin, eye, symbolizes the act of observation and more so, spiritual viewing. Eiyna points at the most important human sense − sight. Jewish mysticism teaches us that through contemplation we can truly see.

    Through their work, the artists allow the viewer different ways of observing art, one that forces the viewer to not only look at something but also to see it. Other kinds of art are less bound to the artists’ intentions - though the viewer still feels the artist’s presence, there is more room for his eye and mind to roam. Eiyna, Ayin, our eye, is the link through which one can see beyond the form and colour. This contemplation is what allows one to see into the heart of an artwork​