The Exhibition Concept

Israel’s socio-political reality causes her to be detached from neighboring countries, while linking her to distant centers in Europe and the US. Partly because of different historical processes, Israel has always considered herself closer in a cultural sense to the West, and to leading cultural centers, such as Paris, London and New York. Throughout the 20th century, those cultural centers expanded and created a system of control that perpetuated their status, and represented their concept of cultural hegemony. Israel tried for many years to become a part of this system and enhance its place within its hierarchical structure. Adoption of the concepts of the powerful Western art centers prevented the possibility of noticing any art work in our area in neighboring countries with a similar climate and comparable cultural characteristics.

In this respect, “The Haifa Mediterranean Biennale” now opening in Haifa, has an important role in creating a new contact network of artists from countries in the area – the Mediterranean states. These contacts are based upon new cultural systems, that are contrary to the existing hierarchical system - a system that differentiates between center and periphery and considers local work based only on the extent of its association with imported trends from strong Western centers. The purpose of the Haifa biennale is to create a new contact system, through which artists from the nearby areas can cooperate, initiate activities and exchange views, unencumbered by the fixed patterns of the established systems.

The "Haifa Mediterranean biennale" is a sort of laboratory where the various ideas and suggestions expressed, can be examined and put into practice in different regional locations. Nowadays, global art has become fettered and dependent on the economic system that is based on capitalistic principles. The biennale offers an alternative platform emphasizing local processes formed by encounter and cultural exchange, not by importing already-completed creations. The biennale provides opportunities for meeting and exchanging opinions, and forming bonds leading to future activities. It offers a platform for artists from the periphery to present their work without having to adjust themselves to established modes set by the major centers. These centers tend to create sub-genres, succumbing to a constant need to discover novel activities and introduce artists from new and “exotic” sources.

The " Haifa Mediterranean biennale" places the issue of education as one of its central aims. It tries to encourage and involve the local population in promoting it, making them active partners. The aim of the biennale is to allow the population at large to be exposed to the different areas used by art nowadays, and the various methods used by artists. In the course of the work at the exhibition, and during the exhibition, artists will offer discussions and lectures to children, students and the general public. Nowadays, it is very important to try and close the gap between the general public and contemporary art, and this can be done by mediating between the two and providing accurate information on the subject.

Belu-Simion Fainaru
Artistic Director Haifa Mediterranean Biennale