The art of war

Art auction seeks to aid kibbutz gallery, Gaza border teens

Nassima-Landau exhibit and auction will donate all proceeds to Be’eri gallery and Elem

Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center

  • 'The Bauhinia Avenue' 2016 by Ziva Jelin, part of Nassima Landau auction on December 13, 2023. (Courtesy)
    'The Bauhinia Avenue' 2016 by Ziva Jelin, part of Nassima Landau auction on December 13, 2023. (Courtesy)
  • 'Broken Heart' by Pilpeled/Nir Peled, part of Nassima Landau auction. (Courtesy: Elad Sarig)
    'Broken Heart' by Pilpeled/Nir Peled, part of Nassima Landau auction. (Courtesy: Elad Sarig)
  • 'Bitter Moments of Grace' by Matan Ben Cnaan, part of the Nassima-Landau art auction set for December 13, 2023. (Courtesy: Elad Sarig)
    'Bitter Moments of Grace' by Matan Ben Cnaan, part of the Nassima-Landau art auction set for December 13, 2023. (Courtesy: Elad Sarig)

Nassima-Landau, an art space established to renew the Tel Aviv art scene after the coronavirus lockdown, is trying to help out again, this time auctioning Israeli artworks to raise funds for Gaza border communities after Hamas terrorists killed some 1,200 people there and abducted hundreds of others on October 7.

The fundraising exhibit is called Spectrum of Lights, and the Hanukkah-timed auction will take place December 13, in-person and online, with artworks by 25 Israeli artists.

The participating artists include some of Israel’s biggest names, as well as younger artists, including Aram Gershuni, Sigalit Landau, Michael Liani, Pilpeled, Fatma Shanan, Natalia Zourabova and Ziva Jelin.

All funds will go toward assisting in rebuilding the Kibbutz Be’eri Gallery that was burned to the ground, along with the construction of a new art center in collaboration with the German government.

For now, the Be’eri Gallery is being temporarily housed in Tel Aviv’s Beit Romano for the next three years, until it returns to a new building in the kibbutz.

Funds will also go to Elem, an organization that assists teens at risk and which has focused in recent weeks on teens from Gaza border communities.

Untitled from the series ‘The Soldiers’ 1999 by Adi Nes, part of Nassima Landau auction on December 13, 2023. (Courtesy of the artist)

Some of the participating artists are donating works, with all of their proceeds to be distributed. Others will take only 40 percent of their usual price and donate the remainder.

Nassima-Landau is taking care of all expenses outside of the production of artworks and shipping.

It’s a turn of events for Steeve Nassima, the Belgian art collector who founded the art space with curator Suzanne Landau in 2020, and moved to Israel after his own personal tragedy.

When Nassima first opened the gallery, his aim was to connect Israel with the international art scene by bringing artists to Tel Aviv.

At the time, he was often criticized for not showing more Israeli artists.

‘Eternal Return’ by Sigalit Landau, part of Nassima Landau auction on December 13, 2023. (Courtesy of the artist)

“It is time for the exact opposite,” said Nassima in a statement. “I am uniting 25 important Israeli artists for a beautiful exhibition.”

The exhibit, which opened in-person and online, aims to support artists who may be without enough work for the near future, said Nassima, to raise funds for Be’eri and Elem, and to bring together artists from all streams of society.

“These days, we are all looking for ways to help each other,” he said. “This small project will contribute to that.”

The Spectrum of Lights exhibit is open through January 19, 2024.

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