From Qumran to Rome
Filed under: General, History and Culture, Politics, Religion
The Dead Sea scrolls have recently become a great excuse for intensifying Israel’s relationship with Italy. The Italians have been in the business of preserving antiquities for far longer than the Zionists, and a team of scientists from the Italian Central Institute for Restoration has been working together with the Israel Antiquities Authority to restore, analyze and maintain the famous Bible fragments.
The scrolls were well-preserved when they sat in clay pots in Qumran’s dry caves for 2000 years, but in the 61 years since their discovery, they’ve undergone some wear and tear – even the Israel Museum’s strange-looking yet high-tech and emblematic Shrine of the Book seems to be a problematic home.
Considered one of the most the most significant archeological finds ever, many of the Dead Sea scrolls have been on tour of the world’s museums over the years (including, among others, the Library of Congress, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the San Diego Natural History Museum). So when Italian President Giorgio Napolitano came to Israel for a visit last month, to see first-hand how the restoration project is going, he used the opportunity to announce that many Dead Sea scrolls would soon be on display in Rome, telling Israel Antiquities Authority spokespeople, “I am extremely pleased with the cooperation and scientific ties that have been formed between our representatives in Italy and the IAA.”
Coverage of the visit and announcement in the Italian press included an estimate that the Rome exhibit would take place some time in 2009, as well as some good-old Israeli confidence.
”We are sure that the scrolls will arouse great interest in the Italian public,” [IAA spokesman Yoli] Schwartz said, adding that Napolitano had pledged to be ”the first visitor” to the show.
Photo of Napolitano examining a scroll that mentions the Ten Commandments courtesy of Clara Amit for the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Contemporary old portraits
Filed under: Art, General, History and Culture
Today marks the opening of a new photo exhibition at the Jerusalem Theatre‘s Rebecca Crown Plaza. Entitled Centenarians in Israel, the show, running through January 14, focuses on Israel’s extreme elderly.
The project has been spearheaded by Eshel, a non-profit support organization aimed at defending the rights and improving the living conditions of older people in Israel. Kicking off a year’s worth of 2009 gala events celebrating the organization’s 40th birthday, Eshel operates under the umbrella of the Israeli government and the Israeli branch of the Joint Distribution Committee.
It comes as no surprise, then, that the portraits were all photographed by Ofir Ben Natan, an in-house photographer at the Joint. Ben Natan’s work on this project is a far cry from the standard capturing of events that one might expect from an NGO staffer, effectively capturing the dignity of these weathered individuals, in the intimate settings of their living spaces, often surrounded by their most valued belongings and ordinary knickknacks. As an exploration of Israeli identity, the body of work is likewise provocative, especially since the Israelis photographed here were all at least 40 years of age when the state was born.
All in all, the exhibit covers 12 individuals, all aged 100 to 108, in 24 large prints accompanied by context-enhancing bio blurbs. For interested parties who might not be able to make it to the Jerusalem Theatre in the coming weeks, more photos from the series (but smaller, and with nothing in the way of background information) can be seen by clicking here.
Foto Friday
ArtFocus 5 opened on September 24 in Jerusalem, bringing the annual encounter between contemporary art in Israel and abroad, as seen by 66 artists from around the world, 18 of whom are Israeli.
It’s happening until October 23, and is being held at the Pavilion Conference and Events center in the Talpiot Industrial Zone, on Hauman Street. Open from 5 pm – 10 pm, Sunday through Thursday; Friday 10 am – 2pm; Saturday, 9 pm – 11 pm and open on Hol Hamoed Sukkot, 5 pm – 10 pm.
The selection is wide and varied, and here are a few that I liked:
Foto Friday – BGU Through Dani Machlis’ Eyes
Filed under: A New Reality, Art, Foto Friday, General, Life
Dani Machlis is staff photographer for Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. You might think his job entails an never-endlng parade of faculty head shots and donor dinners, but in fact, it affords him endless creative opportunties. Sent to shoot the new Alon Building for High Tech on the University’s Marcus Family Campus, Machlis came back with a stunning composition in blue and gold.
Photo by Dani Machlis
A visit to the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at the University’s Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, yielded an image that captures the tactile satisfaction of hands-on research.
Photo by Dani Machlis
The last image, entitled “Wow”, placed first in the news and features category of American University’s May photo competition. Machlis captured the fire dancers in motion amidst the clatter of plates and cutlery, at the University’s recent Board of Governors’ meeting. The din of dinner fades into the background and Machlis captures BGU’s essence: a magical oasis of advancement and technology emerging, mirage-like, out of the desert night.
Photo by Dani Machlis
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