EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 20
EXTENDED THROUGH JUNE 20
TZIMTZUM is a Havurah gallery show on view at The Jerusalem Biennale from March 16th through June 20th in the Heichal Shlomo Culture Center
Taking its title from the Kabbalistic metaphor for creation, Tzimtzum explores the artistic potential of divine concealment. The seven participating artists use their work as a tool or kli to draw out the spiritual dimensions of commonplace diaspora scenes. Featuring new and recent works of painting, sculpture, and photography, Tzimtzum offers a window into one of North America’s few artist communities built explicitly for and by Jews.
FEATURING: Ken Goshen, Tzvi Hecht, Jacqueline Kott-Wolle, Jackson Krule, Sarah Meital Benjamin, Hana Mendel, Hannah Eve Rothbard, Annita Soble
Curated by Lindsay Leboyer
THE MUSEUM IS OPEN SUNDAYS THROUGH THURSDAYS, AT 10 AM TO 3 PM. THE MUSEUM IS CLOSED FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS, AND JEWISH HOLIDAYS.
Photo credit: Joran Dea
Ken Goshen is a Jerusalem-born artist and educator based in New York City. He studied at various institutions in Israel and New York, followed by three years of service in a classified IDF unit demanding a variety of artistic skills. Now based in Queens, Ken teaches painting and drawing to hundreds of students online and at the Goshen Art Academy in Midtown Manhattan. His paintings bring together classical techniques and contemporary outlooks, striving to bridge the gap between tradition and progress.
Photo credit: Anna Prokulevicz
Sarah Meital Benjamin, a Jerusalem-born artist and filmmaker, merges mediums, including film, installations, and photography. Her work explores themes of social realism, hybrid identity, and the complexities of human relationships. Focusing on the lives of subcultures and adolescent groups in the Middle East, she captures the gritty aspects of everyday life of fringe groups and collective memory amidst societal challenges.
Courtesy of Annita Soble
Annita Soble is an illustrator, animator and mother of five who lives in the chassidic community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Soble sees herself as a visual translator via illustration and animation, who produces work based on context rather than art for art’s sake. She has illustrated album art for the band Zusha and led art direction and character design for Milkweed The Movie.
Courtesy of Jacqueline Kott-Wolle
Jacqueline Kott-Wolle lives in Highland Park, IL where she paints full time. Her most recent project, entitled “Growing Up Jewish - Art and Storytelling” is a series of 40 contemporary oil paintings and personal narratives exploring her North American brand of Jewish identity and how it evolved through five generations of her family. Paired with the artist’s own narration, Kott-Wolle asks ‘what does it mean to be Jewish for past, present and future generations?’
Courtesy of Hana Mendel
Hana Mendel is an artist based in New York and Jerusalem, who offers a nuanced exploration of concealed spirituality through evocative photo-illustrations. Mendel, whose images have graced the pages of The New Yorker, New York Magazine, and Wall Street Journal, uses her upbringing in the Jewish diaspora as a foundation for her visual narratives. Often incorporating elements of magical realism, Mendel transforms everyday objects into profound symbols of cultural and personal sanctity.
Courtesy of Jackson Krule
Jackson Krule is a New York based photographer who currently works as the Senior Visual Producer at The Players’ Tribune. He is known for his poignant images documenting the close-knit Jewish sect of Satmar Hassidim who reside in Kiryas Joel. His photographs shed light on this often misunderstood community while opening a door for them to appreciate art. Krule is a graduate of the Tisch School of Arts at New York University.
Courtesy of Hannah Eve Rothbard
Hannah Eve Rothbard is a multimedia artist, curator, and writer based in New York. Her recent body of work explores New York Jewish culture with both frankness and humor, while exploring the erosion, transformation, and development of tradition that is catalyzed by diaspora. She works primarily in mixed media painting, using collected and manipulated paper materials in a layered process. Rothbard holds a BFA in Studio Art from New York University with a minor in Urban Design and Architecture Studies.
Courtesy of Tzvi Hecht
Tzvi Hecht is a soft sculptor who carefully crafts his pieces using fabric, wood, and stuffing; exploring themes related to society, individual identity, personal growth, and safety. Hecht's path began with an undergraduate degree in Architecture at SCI-Arc, followed by a transformative experience working as a studio assistant for an LA-based sculptor. He designs each piece through a multi-stage process, using vibrant colors and soft textures to invite viewers into a whimsical and thought-provoking dialogue. Hecht earned his MFA from the School of Visual Arts in NYC in 2023.