As it is now well known, to the two curators\u2019 decision, the Israeli pavilion at the Venice Biennale will stay closed to the public until an agreement is reached on the hostages held by Hamas and on the ceasefire. In the meantime, coinciding with the opening of the 60th international exhibition, \u201cI confini dell\u2019alterit\u00e0 \/ The Contours of Otherness\u201d, a contemporary art exhibition curated by the Jewish Museum of Venice opened in Venice, with installations in three areas of the old ghetto (Spazio Ikona, Spazio Lab, Spazio Azzime) and several Israeli artists among the protagonists. The exhibition is curated by museum director Marcella Ansaldi with the collaboration of Jemma Elliott-Israelson and Avi Ifergan and focuses on the theme of journey, undertaken by or against one\u2019s will, and of the cultural identity crisis that can result from it. The works on display include \u201cA transferable safe space,\u201d painted by Israeli artist Amit Berman after spending some time away from family, friends and domestic intimacy, poised between \u201cconserving roots\u201d and adapting \u201cto a new cultural context.\u201d In contrast, his compatriot Elisheva Revah invites reflection on the Challah, the Sabbath bread, which she associates \u201cwith migration, femininity and the concept of home in the context of the diaspora.\u201d The confrontation between cultures, sensibilities and knowledges on the theme of otherness \u201cgave rise to an extremely interesting artistic and human experience,\u201d stated Ansaldi, while presenting the salient features of an exhibition that is itself a message.<\/p>\n
Calimani: Israel and Judaism are under attack, we must promote culture<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThere probably is no better teacher of coexistence between different people than the Venetian Ghetto,\u201d pointed out Dario Calimani, President of the Jewish Community of Venice. \u201cBuilt in suspicion and mistrusted as all diversity, the Ghetto today offers itself as a welcoming place, as an open space reaffirming the principle of hospitality.\u201d The exhibition, remarked Calimani in an interview with Pagine Ebraiche, \u201cis opening at a time when Israel and Judaism are being speciously questioned; and it is meaningful that it is taking place in this neighbourhood, a place of segregation where many marginalized people from so many places have managed to develop a coexistence among themselves and with the outside world, promoting life and culture.\u201d Today, developing culture is still a mission. \u201cThe restoration work at the Jewish Museum should be completed by November, so that we can open it almost completely. It will be renewed and future-oriented,\u201d added Calimani.<\/p>\n Picture: Challah by Elisheva Revah<\/p>\n