A b o u t B G U

w w w . b g u . a c . i l

A r t a t B e n - G u r i o n U n i v e r s i t y o f t h e N e g e v

The University is also at the heart

of Beer-Sheva’s transformation into

the country’s cyber capital, where

leading multi-national corporations

leverage BGU’s expertise to generate

innovative R&D. A third of Israel’s

engineers graduate from BGU, with

that number destined to rise as

the IDF moves south and sends its

brightest to swell the ranks of BGU’s

student body. To accommodate

that growth, BGU has launched an

ambitious campaign to double the

size of its main campus.

As it counts up to its fiftieth

anniversary, the University’s research

becomes ever more relevant as its

global reach broadens.

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is

the fastest growing research university

in Israel, fulfilling the vision of David

Ben-Gurion, Israel’s f irst prime

minister, who envisaged the future

of Israel emerging from the Negev.

From medicine to the humanities to

the natural sciences, BGU conducts

groundbreaking research and offers

insightful instruction.

Academic expertise in the field of art is

found at BGU’s Department of the Arts,

which offers undergraduate degrees in

art history, f ine arts, and music history,

and graduate degrees in art history.

In their f inal year, undergraduates

study curatorship, which enables

them to take their knowledge from

the classroom to the community by

actively participating in the mounting

of a major exhibition. The course

is unique in Israel, and the project

bridges the academic study of art and

public enjoyment of the arts.

B e y o n d t h e C l a s s r o o m

to be displayed throughout the

Marcus Family Campus and the

planned North Campus, which will

serve as landmarks in a self-guided

campus tour. The project seeks to

create a greater presence of art on

campus, enhancing our environment

and manifesting our dedication to

the promotion of art and culture in

the region.

As the University continues to

expand, both physically and

academically, and its global

reputation spreads, the multifaceted

role of art on campus continues to

grow. The addition of new sculptures

is part of a larger plan to expand

BGU’s art collection and build a major

University Art Gallery to house it,

enabling BGU to reach out to the

community by creating a new artistic

and cultural center in Beer-Sheva.

Ben-Gurion University of the

Negev is deeply committed to

art – as an academic discipline; a

source of beauty on campus and

in our community; as a vehicle for

communication and a forum to

bring people together; as a means

of making a statement and inspiring

creativity, discussion, and dialogue;

as a way of serving the community;

and as an important force in the

realization of the Negev’s potential.

With a well-established academic

degree program and three small

art galleries on and off campus, the

University is embarking on the next

stage of fulfilling this commitment

by installing an outdoor sculpture

collection. The collection will consist

of eleven sculptures, selected by a

committee of artists and academics,

May 2017Produced by the Department of Publications and Media Relations, Ben-Gurion University of the NegevConcept and Design: Shai Zauderer | Photography: Dani Machlis

3

I l a n A v e r b u c h

Ilan Averbuch’s innovative sculptures

have become well-known landmarks,

shaping the identity of their

respective locations, including the

Tel Aviv Promenade and the Supreme

Court in Jerusalem.

The first phase of the Campus Sculpture

Collection was initiated during the 2013–14

academic year, when two new sculptures

were installed on campus, instantly creating

an atmosphere of cultural renewal.

This catalogue presents the sculptures – all

of them by renowned Israeli artists – selected

for the collection. The works, as an ensemble,

reveal the profundity of the Israeli experience

through varied materials and symbolism,

forming a rich and moving narrative open to

personal interpretation.

A t t h e E n d o f U t o p i a

( T h e B i g B a l l o o n i s F a r )

1999, wood, glass, stone

290 x 420 x 240 cm

Wood slats arranged as a grid in the shape

of an aerial balloon encase a glass globe.

Rooted in stone blocks, the balloon is unable

to get off the ground and rise into the air,

just like a gleaming idea unable to escape

the weight of its encasement. The work

blends a sense of hopefulness and loss, of the

victorious and the tragic, each portending

the other.

1

C a m p u s S c u l p t u r e C o l l e c t i o n

54

T h r e e F a n f a r e

T r u m p e t e r s a n d a

C l i m b e r

2014, cast aluminum

Life-size figures

Three musicians scale the side

of a building, representing

a group going in a single

chosen direction. On a nearby

building, the W.A. Minkoff

Senate Hall, an individual

chooses to climb a new,

previously unexplored peak. T h e C h o i r

2014, cast bronze

Life-size figures

A group of five life-size figures

welcome visitors to the Marcus

Family Campus. Two of the figures

hold books from which they are

reading or singing. The other three

are communicating in sign language,

forming signs of the words ˝ love,˝

˝ home,˝ and the ˝righteous path.̋

2O f r a Z i m b a l i s t a

The human form occupies a central

place in Ofra Zimbalista’s varied oeuvre.

Her sculptural installations – created

with a casting technique on the basis

of real-life figures – present the human

form in a range of combinations,

contexts, and roles.

3

76

I s r a e l H a d a n y

Israel Hadany’s sculptures

are grounded in profound

emotion within an

environmental context,

and are adventurous in

their contemporary artistic

conception.

T h e s e A r e t h e R u l e s

2017, red granite

H. 4.5 m (approx.)

This sculpture is a modern

artistic interpretation of

pillars of law and memorial

plaques, such as steles.

The carved or inscribed

stones were used by rulers

to communicate their

laws to the people or to

commemorate historical

events. The enigmatic

inscriptions engraved on

this sculpture are open to

interpretation by the

viewer, while its physical

essence strives to foster

inter-cultural dialogue

between a contemporary

artwork and cultural

antiquity.

4

Z v i k a K a n t o r

Zvika Kantor’s colorful

works are inspired

by the circus and

the theater, and are

characterized by

playfulness and fantasy.

T h e G l o b e

2017, steel and fiberglass

6.3 x 3.4 m

The young male figure

gazes at the unknown

planet of knowledge.

Positioned upside down,

he is free from the

constraints of gravity,

and is able to ascend

into a world of fantastic

thinking, though he

remains connected to the

globe base and, thus, to

the real world.

5

98

B e r n i e F i n k

Renowned for his environmental

sculptures and monuments,

Bernie Fink’s works complement

their natural setting.

Cosmic Seeds

2009, stone, Diam. 1–2 m (each)

Scientists have, for many years,

pondered different theories

regarding the origin of life on

Earth. Cosmic Seeds addresses

this phenomenon, giving

expression to the Panspermia

Theory, suggesting that life on

Earth originated elsewhere in

the universe and was transposed

here, possibly during a meteor

shower. The artist interprets this

theory by landing these cosmic

seeds at BGU, where they can be

cultivated and flourish.

6

T h e S m a l l H o r s e

f r o m D e l p h i

2000, basalt, 150 x 130 cm

The work consists of

a boulder with carved

engravings and markings,

projecting a powerful

presence; a certain magic;

a reminder of its primeval

roots, its history, and its

belonging to nature. The

boulder tells a singular

story that ignites the

beholder’s imagination.

D a v i d F i n e

David Fine is influenced

by the unique

characteristics of the

basalt rocks in northern

Israel, where he makes

his home, claiming that

their deep fissures convey

stories of stoic survival

during floods, drought,

and war – a concept at the

foundation of his work as

a sculptor.

7

1110

B u k y S c h w a r t z

In his sculptures, Buky

Schwartz experimented

with creative materials,

such as mirrors and

wooden timbers,

presenting the interplay

of physical presence and

illusory appearances.

N e w Y o r k / T e l A v i v

1998, Corten (weathering)

steel, 190 x 190 x 190 cm

The names of two cities –

Tel Aviv and New York –

are inscribed at the

intersection of an X shape.

As the sun moves in the

sky, the shadow cast by

each of the cities rotates

around the sculpture on

the ground. Like a sun

dial, the light and shadow

symbolize the cities

rotating about themselves

and influencing all those

who come into contact

with them.

Y a a c o v D o r c h i n

Yaacov Dorchin works

primarily with industrial

recycled iron, depicting

motifs touching upon the

oscillation between opposites:

concealment and exposure,

conscious and unconscious,

perception and apperception.

P o r t r a i t o f t h e A r t i s t

a s a n I n f a n t i l e , T w o

D e a d T u r t l e s , C l o u d s

a n d S a u s a g e s

( f o r Y a i r G a r b u z )

2011–2013, iron

200 x 150 x 40 cm

In this work, Dorchin links

the angel to Gabriel García

Márquez’s short story "A

Very Old Man with Enormous

Wings," which tells the tale

of a wounded angel that has

fallen from the sky into a little

village, causing a stir. The

angel may also be related to

Jacob’s biblical struggle with

the angel, suggesting that the

price paid by humankind for the

impudence of grappling with

the angel resulted not only in

physical injury, but also in the

loss of human innocence and

its condemnation to a painful,

empty existence.

9

8

1312

S i g a l i t L a n d a u

Sigalit Landau works with diverse

mediums, including drawing,

sculpture, video, and performance

art. She creates complex works that

touch upon a number of social,

humanitarian, and ecological

issues, embracing topics such as

homelessness, banishment, and the

relationship between victim and

aggressor, growth and decay.

S a s h a S e r b e r

Influenced by the classical

European sculptural tradition, yet

linking high culture with popular

art, Sasha Serber creates works

whose aesthetic foundations

seem loose and rootless.

P e o p l e a n d H o l l o w R o c k

2013, bronze, 265 x 160 x 120 cm

The sculpture consists of two

monumental nude figures, a

rock, and a well. The work was

influenced by Michelangelo’s

Unfinished Slaves and Rodin’s

Daniade. The motif of the human

form portrays the evolution of

humanity from nature.

H a n d a n d F o o t

2012, aluminum

225 x 100 x 100 cm

2012, aluminum

203 x 120 x 170 cm

Chosen from his exhibition Antique

Collection , the works Hand and

Foot are based on universally

identifiable ancient Roman ruins,

blending the artist ’s fascination

with European classical sculpture

and the impulse of contemporary

viewers to photograph these

˝ancient˝ relics. Disjointed from

their archaeological context, the

sculptures invite the viewers to

explore their own stance, while

evoking longing for a remote

culture.

11

10

1514

T h e U n i v e r s i t y A r t G a l l e r y

It has long been a goal of

Ben-Gurion University of

the Negev to establish a

University Art Gallery, as a

home for art education and

exhibitions. The proposed

gallery will enhance the

landscape with its graceful

design and enrich the lives

of many, while serving

as a bridge between

the University and the

community.

The University Art Gallery will

contribute to the development

of the city of Beer-Sheva as the

cultural capital of the Negev.

The Gallery will be located at

the western edge of the Marcus

Family Campus facing Rager

Boulevard, Beer-Sheva’s main

thoroughfare. Situated at the

northern end of the boulevard,

the gallery will connect the

University to the city’s cultural

landmarks, consolidating

Beer-Sheva’s position as a

cultural and artistic center,

as well as drawing visitors to

the region.

The new facilities will enable

the University to host high-

profile exhibitions, exhibit

its permanent collection,

display loaned artworks from

prestigious museums, and

welcome new gifts from private

collectors, thus enhancing the

intellectual, educational, and

cultural life of the entire region

and broadening horizons by

exposing students and the

wider Negev community to a

wealth of art.

Gallery Design: Chyutin Architects

1716

The establishment of the Art Gallery

Endowment Fund will provide long-

term support for art exhibitions at

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

and ensure a secure foundation

for the presence of art on campus.

The exhibition of art contributes to

the beautification of our campuses

in Israel’s southern region and

amplifies the Negev’s cultural and

educational resources. The Art

Gallery Endowment Fund will enable

art to flourish and inspire students

and members of the broader

community for generations to come.

BGU currently has three exhibition

spaces, as well as a dedicated

curator committed to art and its

promotion on campus. The Marcus

Family Campus hosts changing

exhibitions (approximately three

a year) at the Senate Gallery in

the George Shrut Visitors Center

in the Samuel and Milada Ayrton

University Center and at the

Avraham Baron Art Gallery in the

Zalman Aranne Central Library. The

University has also been an active

partner in the establishment and

development of the Trumpeldor

Gallery in Beer-Sheva’s Old City.

The gallery aims to create and

promote art activities, exhibitions,

symposiums, and cultural events that

combine theoretical content and

interdisciplinary art. The new venue

attracts visitors from all over Israel

and around the world.

BGU’s art exhibitions offer an

opportunity for students to exhibit

their work, for budding curators to

apply their skills and gain practical

experience, and for the University

to contribute to the development of

Israel’s southern region.

A r t G a l l e r y E n d o w m e n t F u n d

1918