Jerusalem Design Week focuses on escapism at Hansen House

July 1 brings the start of the tenth year of Jerusalem Design Week, the city’s annual celebration of creativity, to be held at Hansen House through July 8.

This year’s week of design exhibits and events will revolve around the theme of a “Runaway Circus,” about the pandemic and running away from the days of virtual life toward nature, alternative culture and identities, said Ron Wolf, one of the event’s directors.

“It’s an escapism theme that affects people globally and locally and in Jerusalem,” said Wolf. “It’s been a runaway circus in the last year and a half, and we had to adjust the theme because of what happened.”

To that end, multidisciplinary circus company Clown X is being set up on the grounds of the former leper colony, along with exhibits focused on the circus theme, from animals and bugs to performances involving tattoo artists, as well as culinary design events.

The strength of Jerusalem Design Week is to bring a specific message through the space of Hansen House, said Wolf.

“We tell a story through the theme,” he said.

Most of the design works were created for Design Week, although some 40 of the 150 participating artists are from abroad and will be sending their works but not attending in person.

The theme was chosen back in 2019, but the organizers decided only three months ago to go ahead with the event, said Wolf. Still, they’re pleased to be able to hold it with audiences in person.

“We’re never just another design exhibit because our works live with the audience and access all kinds of people — secular and religious, Jews and Arabs —  and that’s very important to us,” said Wolf.