‘Water In Art And Life’ At Israel Museum

Through the eyes of artists from Israel and abroad, water is used as a tool for a wide variety of expression and commentary on personal, social and environmental issues.

"There is no life without water," says exhibition curator Hagit Allon. "Water is the source of all living things and yet, in the history of art, it has been so infrequently a subject of exploration in itself. It is fascinating how, over the years, the use of water in art has transformed from being predominantly scenic to being a subject on its own."

Japanese artist Mariko Mori's photographic work Empty Dream (1995), covering an entire wall at the entrance to the exhibition, is a man-made beach that plays with the boundary between real and artificial, in which the artist herself appears four times as a mermaid. Other playful works include Gennady Berinsky's The Little Mermaid (2007), an interactive environment in which a siren-like mermaid beckons the visitor toward a torrential waterfall, and Shira Zelwer's Tub (2006, wax and acrylic), in which a gleeful child enjoys her bath. Other artists explore subjects such as pools, waterfalls, fish, the sea and the movement of water: Eden Ofrat's The Pool (2005) is a video of the daily progress of a pool's reflection, projected on plexiglass and surrounded by dry leaves; Céleste Boursier-Mougenot's untitled work (1999–2002) uses a water pump to propel assorted bowls around at inflatable plastic pool; and Shelly Federman's video Underwater (2004) uses an underwater camera to film the dance of a group of smiling synchronized swimmers.

One section of the exhibition deals with the subject of water in Israel. Young Israeli artists have become increasingly disturbed by Israel's chronic water shortages, as well as by water pollution, and this concern is a central theme in their work. Some of the artists use their works as criticism of the way the country and its people are dealing with the issue, painting a disturbing picture, while others convey a kind of nostalgia for the way things used to be before the current emergency situation. Alongside the works, educational information explains the problems and suggests ways in which the public can help solve them.

The exhibition ends with an artistic homage to water as a purifying and sanctifying element, as seen by many different cultures, from the ancient world until today. Various artifacts and photographs document religious traditions and ceremonies that have developed around water. A 13th century Iranian fountain and Said Nuseibeh's photograph of the courtyard pool at the Queen Arwa Mosque in Yemen (1994), used for washing the feet before entering the mosque, are examples of the role water plays in the Islamic tradition; a certificate of baptism in the Jordan River (2007) and Dan Arnon's photograph of the Syrian Orthodox Church's Holy Thursday foot-washing ceremony depict water's significance in the various Christian traditions; and an illustration of a woman bathing in a 'mikvah' (Jewish ritual bath) in a 1739 Viennese book of blessings illuminates Jewish religious practices. Works exploring other cultures include Yossi Zeliger's photograph Immersion in the Ganges (1994, India) and the bronze Aphrodite rising from the sea from around 200 BCE. -- www.imj.org.il