Berlin, 2024
This light box is rendered in a partially self-mocking tone that answers to the stylized form that contemporary art, specifically painting, can adopt: a nihilist approach that fits a dominant trend preoccupied with the sophistication of the surface and intentionally having it’s meaning the avoidance of meaning itself. The first layer tends to be rich and stimulating yet often lacks other layers to peel in search of depth. If there is a statement, it may be prefabricated to fit an agenda. These dynamics become a sense of defeat and cynicism.
In this spirit, this painting takes a loaded reference and renders it into a digestible abstraction to create an intellectualized aesthetic of the original experience.
Created in Berlin, where any criticism of the israeli occupation has been severely censored and repressed. Every art space is obliged by government rules to sign an agreement admitting they acknowledge the state of Israel and won’t engage in any “antisemitic”/anti-Israel activities. Under this light, this piece doesn’t procure much more than what felt right at the time within its context. Hopefully, it is a means to ponder further our relationship with the world, including each other.