A few words about the museum: The Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art was established in the early 60’s, as a result of a civil act of local habitants who aimed to create an art establishment in their city, which is located 20 minutes from Tel Aviv metropolis on the Mediterranean seashore. The current museum’s director and chief curator, Dr. Aya Lurie, entered the museum eleven years ago. Lurie is an art historian specialized in portraiture during the beginning of the 20th century in pre-stated period. Lurie’s approach integrates highly professional and up-to-date subject matters with the ability to bridge these topics to the wide audience, balancing inner art discourses with accessibility. The war period undoubtedly created practical problems: first and foremost, fear for the integrity of the works due to the bombings, but also the absence of workers mobilized by the army, reduced opening hours, a smaller public and perhaps also budget restrictions. Could you elaborate? Most museums in Israel closed in the wake of the shock of October 7. How did you go about this, and what motivated you to reopen? October 7th confronted us with extreme feelings mixing anxiety, shock and sorrow For two months, the museum doors were closed to the public according to official security instructions, yet its staff and activities with the community did not cease. The various restrictions largely led us to develop and use online platforms that drew additional audiences to the museum, compelled the creation of new visiting methods (such as virtual tours – a tool that was previously used during the COVID19 pandemic), required the preparation of protected spaces, implementation of safety regulations and acquainted the public with new modes of engaging with the museum, which was occasionally subjected to bombing attacks threat. Part of the museum’s collection storage area (located in the museum’s shelter) was re-organized in order to accommodate young pupils from a Herzliya school who had been studying in an unprotected building in the museum neighborhood. Gradually, we began receiving groups of visitors: first, those how had special needs, and later - from the general public for guided visits, while providing instructions for emergency evacuation in case of alerts.
Did you feel that audiences reacted differently during this period? The horrible events influenced us all. After the security regulations were removed, there was collective feeling of sadness and fear about what the future holds for us all. Similar feelings correspond with the atmosphere during the COVID19 period - when we all felt in a vulnerable and unstable situation – there was a profound need for unity and to gain mutual support from one another. To our surprise, this caused an increase in the number of visitors. Furthermore, this required an adaptation of the event programs. For example, in the period between shows in September 2024, the museum held a multidisciplinary project “Pulses – performative events in the empty museum”. This performative intimate event sought to emphasize the healing ability that art has on us, and to facilitate a space for comfort and gathering. Due to the difficulties caused by the situation, we prolonged the duration of the exhibitions as a means of saving resources (both financially and mentally). After all, circumstances have changed. Moreover, one of the key projects led by the museum’s education department is “Museum in Arabic” (متحف بالاربي) project. This project brings Arabic-speaking pupils and students to visit the museum exhibitions and participate in workshops. It is based on viewing the museum space as a safe basis for multicultural dialogue. This project is led by artists-guides from the Arab community working in the museum’s educational department. After October 7th, we anticipated a decline in visits, but were surprised to find out there was actually a significant increase in demand to visit among Arab-Palestinian community.
Has the planned program been changed? If so, for what reasons? After the Covid-19 period, many artists evoked a plastic expression linked to the pandemic. One could almost speak of a “Covid style”. Several Israeli writers have said that they had difficulty writing during the war. As someone who works closely with creators, can you tell us about their reactions? The main change that occurred is the way the displayed works are interpreted and perceived in the eyes of the local audience and artists. For instance, in July 2023, about three months before October 7, the museum opened an exhibitions ensemble exploring and expending views upon the illustration field (curated by Yuval Saar), which continued to be displayed until early 2024. The exhibited artworks remained entirely unchanged following the outbreak of the war; however, the way they were perceived was completely transformed. The artworks revealed new meanings and interpretations. One example is the installation “The Carnival” by Niv Tishbi, which presented a frozen moment from a protest demonstration, or a procession. After October 7, the installation was instantly charged with new heartbreaking meanings and echoed a bloody parade of war horrors and human suffering.
Usually, our program is planned three years in advance. I made efforts to maintain these plans as much as possible. This led to changes mostly in the events program, such as a collaboration with the psychoanalytical institution etc. Many spontaneous artistic initiatives (acts of protest or consolation), emerged near museum’s outdoor spaces. At the beginning of December 2023, I invited the artist and illustrator Zeev Engelmayer (with his activist works on display at the museum at the time), to create an “Outdoor Frise” for the museum’s facades from a selection of drawings he had posted on his social media accounts under the title: “The Daily Postcard”. This series reflected the ongoing pain of the hostages, human suffering, anxiety and also some relief at the return of those who made it back home. The naïve style of the works resonates the contrast to the horrible situation we are experiencing. Have any exhibitions by Israeli artists abroad been postponed or cancelled? Could you imagine joint exhibitions between Jewish and Palestinian artists? The extreme experience of this period almost demolished the options for multilayer and tolerant dialogue. Populism and extremist voices are increasingly taking over all platforms. As a museum, we recognize our important role in maintaining a platform to present multiple voices. We are committed to providing space for complex dialogue, and to offer a space for local creators to express their diverse visions and narratives. On one hand we experience cancellations and hesitancy from some international collaborators. On the other hand, we manage to maintain the diverse vision that has characterized our program for years. Fatima Abu Roomi, a Palestinian female artist (born in Tamra and working in Nazareth), is currently exhibiting her video installation and paintings alongside Jewish Israeli artists. In her exhibition (curated by Prof. Yael Guilat), she deals with questions of identity, gender and tradition through her self-portraits. Her exhibition received excellent responses from a wide-ranged audience. Hopefully, this is our humble contribution to create a place for cultural and personal engagement.