Thursday 23 September 2021

Human Forms

Beit Guvrin National Park is a national park in central Israel which encompasses the ruins of Maresha, one of the important towns of Judah during the time of the First Temple, and Beit Guvrin, an important town in the Roman era, when it was known as Eleutheropolis. Archaeological artifacts unearthed at the site include a large Jewish cemetery, a Roman-Byzantine amphitheatre, a Byzantine church, public baths, mosaics and burial caves. But it was none of these things that we were looking for when we went to Beit Guvrin one Thursday evening back in June. We were there to see the "Human Forms" exhibition of Italian artist Ivo Bisignano
Bisignano, a former Vogue Italy fashion editor, chose an ancient cave which had been closed to the public for 25 years for his exhibit of wooden sculptures and video art. The southern cave, which last welcomed visitors in the 1990s, has towering limestone walls dating back to at least 500 BCE. It was used by Jews, Romans and Byzantines alternately as a home, bath, stables and burial grounds. Recently it became the temporary home of Bisignano's exhibition of eight wooden sculptures, built from wood scraps found in Acre on the northern coast.
All eight wooden sculptures, some as tall as five feet, were created in Bisignano's Tel Aviv apartment. He initially wanted to install his works in the Negev desert but his husband, Israeli architect Alex Meitlis, suggested the caves as the perfect location for his installation.
The exhibition is based around these namesake wooden sculptures of human forms, as well as video artworks and hand-drawn animations. The sculptures, which are situated on the dusty floors of the cave, casting giant shadows behind them, create a harmonious tension between the inanimate and the human. Each of the eight "human forms" contains their own personality and identity, and form a beautiful juxtaposition with the cave's organic interiors.
Behind the wooden sculptures and projected on other walls of the cave are Bisignano's five video works, enormous screens featuring sound-free images. Apparently it took him nine hours a day for a year to make a three-minute video. The video artworks include hand-drawings of black and white crows, lyrical texts and pop art references. They too emphasise the contrast between ancient and digital.
The sculptures and video works are accompanied by texts written by leading art and creative luminaries, including Israeli-British chef Yotam Ottolenghi, who has collaborated with Bisignano and his Israeli husband on his London restaurants.
The hundreds of caves around Beit Guvrin National Park qualified for UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2014. Now that the "Human Forms" installation has been exhibited in one UNESCO site, Bisignano is hoping to have the exhibit travel around the world, from one UNESCO World Heritage site to another. He hopes that the next stop will be Petra, the Nabatean city in Jordan's southwestern desert.

PoCoLo

15 comments:

Michele Morin said...

So interesting and such a somber setting.

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

fascinating and beautiful

Tamar SB said...

Wow - that is so interesting.

Tom said...

...they are fabulous, particularly in the shadowy light.

VeggieMummy said...

These are amazing! I'm trying to work out which is the closest UNESCO site to us so I can see the exhibition on tour! Probably Stonehenge so I might have to renew my English Heritage membership! Thank you for sharing. xx

Fancyingfrance said...

What a fantastic exhibition! The setting is so atmospheric and the work and time involved in preparing the exhibits, especially the videos, is mind blowing.

Miss Val's Creations said...

What an amazing exhibit with an awesome backdrop! That would be so fantastic if the installation can travel to other UNESCO sites.

riitta k said...

Bisignano has chosen an impressive place for his sculptures & videos! So interesting. I am sure that the exhibition in this venue was thrilling!

handmade by amalia said...

Haven't been there in ages and now I really want to revisit, what an atmospheric exhibition.
Amalia
xo

Rob + Ann @ TravelLatte.net said...

Love the idea of this display traveling to UNESCO sites around the world. That would make a great film or book, too. Again, thanks for introducing us to both a new artist and new National Park!

Joanne said...

That looks so neat!

NCSue said...

I've read what we refer to as the "Old Testament" but often find that I don't recognize names that you mention as being familiar. I wonder if there are some books/history I've missed or if it's a matter of how Hebrew words are "Anglicized"?
Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2021/09/a-prickly-situation-from-archives.html, and I wish you blessings!

EricaSta said...

Love this historical Story of the cave. Very interesting to read. Never heard befire of BISIGNANO. Thank you for sharing.

chickenruby said...

What an amazing exhibition and a fantastic setting for it. I was going to ask how tall the Human Forms were, but you said around 5ft, gives a great idea of the scale of the location. Thanks for sharing with #pocolo

betty-NZ said...

That's quite unusual and very interesting to see. I'm glad you include your wonderful narratives to your photos :)

Thanks for sharing your link at My Corner of the World this week!