Call of the Void

A duo exhibition by Hadar Mitz and Yael Korenstein

Curator: Lior Schur

05.09,2024 - 05.10,2024

Call of the Void

A duo exhibition by Hadar Mitz and Yael Korenstein
Curator: Lior Schur

In their duo exhibition, Call of the Void, Hadar Mitz and Yael Korenstein present works in diverse media such as drawing and kinetic ceramic sculpture, which drift freely in the depths of the collective unconscious. Visiting the exhibition engulfs one with portentous themes connecting the viewer to emotional, deeply rooted and archetypal content, touching on current events, but also resonating with  memories that are burned into us.

The name of the exhibition in Hebrew “Al-Bli-Ma” means "nothing, naught", and deals with collapse. The moments preceding the collapse, but also renewed creation in its aftermath. Both artists deal, each in her own way, with observing and tracing nature and its mechanisms. They follow movements from 'natural' to 'technological' and vice versa. In this period of crisis and inability to fathom a path, the artists turn to a variety of mythologies and archetypes such as Tarot cards, chrysalis, Ouroboros and butterflies, all of which manifest the perpetual dynamics of creation and dissolution. Alongside an overwhelming sense of dread and overflow, these images carry hope for us, because they have the power to offer us a broader perspective on the present moment.

Hadar Mitz's drawings deal with the relationship between collapse, destruction and rebirth, combining images from the realms of alchemy, Jewish mythology and Tarot cards. Mitz initiates her works in dialogue with artificial intelligence, which creates various images for her. She then recreates these images in a long and laborious process, this time as pencil drawings. Her work "The Tower" is a key to reading the exhibition. The drawing, on which a video image is projected intermittently, references the "Burning Tower" Tarot card. The artificial intelligence, in dialogue with Mitz, created a tower devoid of temporal or geographical associations. It is a representation of a universal archetype. Interpretations of this card warn of an impending disaster resulting from our actions, and the collapse of systems that have provided us with a false sense of security.

Yael Kornstein’s art originates in the field of ceramics. The objects she created for the exhibition combine delicate porcelain work with additional elements. Thus one of the installations, which seems like a colony of butterflies, is an amalgam of engines, programming and delicate fragments. Images of butterflies and their wingspans were evident when she first envisioned the exhibition, and they refused to fade away even though everything around was falling apart. In the gallery, the wings produce chime-like sounds mingle with the hum of the engines in the background. The porcelain is fragile, but the butterflies insist on continuing to spread their wings, embracing within them the potential for revival, change and growth.
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About the artists and curator
Hadar Mitz is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in drawing, photography and installation. Holds a B.ed with honors in Art and Education from HaMidrasha Faculty of Arts, and an MFA with honors in Industrial Design from  the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Won a number of awards and scholarships for her work. Presented solo exhibitions at Kibbutz Beeri Gallery, Fresh Color 11 and Beit HaBaer. Has participated in a selection of group exhibitions in galleries and museums in Israel and abroad, and participated in artist residency programs in Canada, Finland and Iceland.

Yael Kornstein is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in ceramics and combinations with different materials. Holds a BFA in Ceramic Art (2015) and an MFA in Industrial Design (2022), both from Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Independent ceramist and owner of "The Warehouse" studio where she teaches and creates. Presented in various exhibitions, including the Jerusalem Design Week, the Showcase Gallery and the Bezalel Image Room gallery.

Lior Shor is a visual artist who moves between sculpture, installation and painting. Participated in solo and group exhibitions in Israel and abroad. Holds a B.ed in Art and Education in the excellence program at HaMidrasha Faculty of Arts, Beit Berel (2008). Member of the "Alfred" Cooperative Art Institute (since 2013) and periodically curates exhibitions at the cooperative gallery. Certified Art Therapist (MA) from Lesley University (2014). Co-founder of the project "Art Animals": Art viewing courses that combine visual and verbal texts.

Bein Hashmashot: Between Night and Day;
End – Edge – Addendum.

Today’s times are characterized by a sense of urgency which can lead to one-dimensionality, yet also invites a complex, “multi-focal” analysis. One cannot discuss the present without considering the past and building the future. 

End: There is a sense that the imminent end is lingering in the air, boundaries have been crossed, the world order has been upended, and doubt has now been cast on assumptions that were once axioms. That which was once taken for granted is no longer certain. What is good and what is bad? How can one distinguish between the two? The word “end” signifies the finishing part, the point where the thing ceases to exist. 

Threshold: The threshold is a gate, an opening one must pass through in the struggle to restore meaning, decorum, and standards. In order to recover, one must consent to sojourn in threshold spaces, in destruction and uncertainty. One must agree to touch upon loss, compromise, and change. One must push up against the edges and taste the ashes.

Addendum: Lingering within a sense of destruction, anxiety, and horror enables, in the end, hope to sprout. From wallowing in the depths, the cracked and broken areas, and from disease, separation, loss, and collapsed systems, a seed sprouts, breathing new life into the consciousness and the body and helping to identify the strength embodied within them.