beyond the classroom - bgu
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A b o u t B G U
w w w . b g u . a c . i l
A r t a t B e n - G u r i o n U n i v e r s i t y o f t h e N e g e v
The University is also at the heart
of Beer-Sheva’s transformation into
the country’s cyber capital, where
leading multi-national corporations
leverage BGU’s expertise to generate
innovative R&D. A third of Israel’s
engineers graduate from BGU, with
that number destined to rise as
the IDF moves south and sends its
brightest to swell the ranks of BGU’s
student body. To accommodate
that growth, BGU has launched an
ambitious campaign to double the
size of its main campus.
As it counts up to its fiftieth
anniversary, the University’s research
becomes ever more relevant as its
global reach broadens.
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is
the fastest growing research university
in Israel, fulfilling the vision of David
Ben-Gurion, Israel’s f irst prime
minister, who envisaged the future
of Israel emerging from the Negev.
From medicine to the humanities to
the natural sciences, BGU conducts
groundbreaking research and offers
insightful instruction.
Academic expertise in the field of art is
found at BGU’s Department of the Arts,
which offers undergraduate degrees in
art history, f ine arts, and music history,
and graduate degrees in art history.
In their f inal year, undergraduates
study curatorship, which enables
them to take their knowledge from
the classroom to the community by
actively participating in the mounting
of a major exhibition. The course
is unique in Israel, and the project
bridges the academic study of art and
public enjoyment of the arts.
B e y o n d t h e C l a s s r o o m
to be displayed throughout the
Marcus Family Campus and the
planned North Campus, which will
serve as landmarks in a self-guided
campus tour. The project seeks to
create a greater presence of art on
campus, enhancing our environment
and manifesting our dedication to
the promotion of art and culture in
the region.
As the University continues to
expand, both physically and
academically, and its global
reputation spreads, the multifaceted
role of art on campus continues to
grow. The addition of new sculptures
is part of a larger plan to expand
BGU’s art collection and build a major
University Art Gallery to house it,
enabling BGU to reach out to the
community by creating a new artistic
and cultural center in Beer-Sheva.
Ben-Gurion University of the
Negev is deeply committed to
art – as an academic discipline; a
source of beauty on campus and
in our community; as a vehicle for
communication and a forum to
bring people together; as a means
of making a statement and inspiring
creativity, discussion, and dialogue;
as a way of serving the community;
and as an important force in the
realization of the Negev’s potential.
With a well-established academic
degree program and three small
art galleries on and off campus, the
University is embarking on the next
stage of fulfilling this commitment
by installing an outdoor sculpture
collection. The collection will consist
of eleven sculptures, selected by a
committee of artists and academics,
May 2017Produced by the Department of Publications and Media Relations, Ben-Gurion University of the NegevConcept and Design: Shai Zauderer | Photography: Dani Machlis
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I l a n A v e r b u c h
Ilan Averbuch’s innovative sculptures
have become well-known landmarks,
shaping the identity of their
respective locations, including the
Tel Aviv Promenade and the Supreme
Court in Jerusalem.
The first phase of the Campus Sculpture
Collection was initiated during the 2013–14
academic year, when two new sculptures
were installed on campus, instantly creating
an atmosphere of cultural renewal.
This catalogue presents the sculptures – all
of them by renowned Israeli artists – selected
for the collection. The works, as an ensemble,
reveal the profundity of the Israeli experience
through varied materials and symbolism,
forming a rich and moving narrative open to
personal interpretation.
A t t h e E n d o f U t o p i a
( T h e B i g B a l l o o n i s F a r )
1999, wood, glass, stone
290 x 420 x 240 cm
Wood slats arranged as a grid in the shape
of an aerial balloon encase a glass globe.
Rooted in stone blocks, the balloon is unable
to get off the ground and rise into the air,
just like a gleaming idea unable to escape
the weight of its encasement. The work
blends a sense of hopefulness and loss, of the
victorious and the tragic, each portending
the other.
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C a m p u s S c u l p t u r e C o l l e c t i o n
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T h r e e F a n f a r e
T r u m p e t e r s a n d a
C l i m b e r
2014, cast aluminum
Life-size figures
Three musicians scale the side
of a building, representing
a group going in a single
chosen direction. On a nearby
building, the W.A. Minkoff
Senate Hall, an individual
chooses to climb a new,
previously unexplored peak. T h e C h o i r
2014, cast bronze
Life-size figures
A group of five life-size figures
welcome visitors to the Marcus
Family Campus. Two of the figures
hold books from which they are
reading or singing. The other three
are communicating in sign language,
forming signs of the words ˝ love,˝
˝ home,˝ and the ˝righteous path.̋
2O f r a Z i m b a l i s t a
The human form occupies a central
place in Ofra Zimbalista’s varied oeuvre.
Her sculptural installations – created
with a casting technique on the basis
of real-life figures – present the human
form in a range of combinations,
contexts, and roles.
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I s r a e l H a d a n y
Israel Hadany’s sculptures
are grounded in profound
emotion within an
environmental context,
and are adventurous in
their contemporary artistic
conception.
T h e s e A r e t h e R u l e s
2017, red granite
H. 4.5 m (approx.)
This sculpture is a modern
artistic interpretation of
pillars of law and memorial
plaques, such as steles.
The carved or inscribed
stones were used by rulers
to communicate their
laws to the people or to
commemorate historical
events. The enigmatic
inscriptions engraved on
this sculpture are open to
interpretation by the
viewer, while its physical
essence strives to foster
inter-cultural dialogue
between a contemporary
artwork and cultural
antiquity.
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Z v i k a K a n t o r
Zvika Kantor’s colorful
works are inspired
by the circus and
the theater, and are
characterized by
playfulness and fantasy.
T h e G l o b e
2017, steel and fiberglass
6.3 x 3.4 m
The young male figure
gazes at the unknown
planet of knowledge.
Positioned upside down,
he is free from the
constraints of gravity,
and is able to ascend
into a world of fantastic
thinking, though he
remains connected to the
globe base and, thus, to
the real world.
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B e r n i e F i n k
Renowned for his environmental
sculptures and monuments,
Bernie Fink’s works complement
their natural setting.
Cosmic Seeds
2009, stone, Diam. 1–2 m (each)
Scientists have, for many years,
pondered different theories
regarding the origin of life on
Earth. Cosmic Seeds addresses
this phenomenon, giving
expression to the Panspermia
Theory, suggesting that life on
Earth originated elsewhere in
the universe and was transposed
here, possibly during a meteor
shower. The artist interprets this
theory by landing these cosmic
seeds at BGU, where they can be
cultivated and flourish.
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T h e S m a l l H o r s e
f r o m D e l p h i
2000, basalt, 150 x 130 cm
The work consists of
a boulder with carved
engravings and markings,
projecting a powerful
presence; a certain magic;
a reminder of its primeval
roots, its history, and its
belonging to nature. The
boulder tells a singular
story that ignites the
beholder’s imagination.
D a v i d F i n e
David Fine is influenced
by the unique
characteristics of the
basalt rocks in northern
Israel, where he makes
his home, claiming that
their deep fissures convey
stories of stoic survival
during floods, drought,
and war – a concept at the
foundation of his work as
a sculptor.
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B u k y S c h w a r t z
In his sculptures, Buky
Schwartz experimented
with creative materials,
such as mirrors and
wooden timbers,
presenting the interplay
of physical presence and
illusory appearances.
N e w Y o r k / T e l A v i v
1998, Corten (weathering)
steel, 190 x 190 x 190 cm
The names of two cities –
Tel Aviv and New York –
are inscribed at the
intersection of an X shape.
As the sun moves in the
sky, the shadow cast by
each of the cities rotates
around the sculpture on
the ground. Like a sun
dial, the light and shadow
symbolize the cities
rotating about themselves
and influencing all those
who come into contact
with them.
Y a a c o v D o r c h i n
Yaacov Dorchin works
primarily with industrial
recycled iron, depicting
motifs touching upon the
oscillation between opposites:
concealment and exposure,
conscious and unconscious,
perception and apperception.
P o r t r a i t o f t h e A r t i s t
a s a n I n f a n t i l e , T w o
D e a d T u r t l e s , C l o u d s
a n d S a u s a g e s
( f o r Y a i r G a r b u z )
2011–2013, iron
200 x 150 x 40 cm
In this work, Dorchin links
the angel to Gabriel García
Márquez’s short story "A
Very Old Man with Enormous
Wings," which tells the tale
of a wounded angel that has
fallen from the sky into a little
village, causing a stir. The
angel may also be related to
Jacob’s biblical struggle with
the angel, suggesting that the
price paid by humankind for the
impudence of grappling with
the angel resulted not only in
physical injury, but also in the
loss of human innocence and
its condemnation to a painful,
empty existence.
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S i g a l i t L a n d a u
Sigalit Landau works with diverse
mediums, including drawing,
sculpture, video, and performance
art. She creates complex works that
touch upon a number of social,
humanitarian, and ecological
issues, embracing topics such as
homelessness, banishment, and the
relationship between victim and
aggressor, growth and decay.
S a s h a S e r b e r
Influenced by the classical
European sculptural tradition, yet
linking high culture with popular
art, Sasha Serber creates works
whose aesthetic foundations
seem loose and rootless.
P e o p l e a n d H o l l o w R o c k
2013, bronze, 265 x 160 x 120 cm
The sculpture consists of two
monumental nude figures, a
rock, and a well. The work was
influenced by Michelangelo’s
Unfinished Slaves and Rodin’s
Daniade. The motif of the human
form portrays the evolution of
humanity from nature.
H a n d a n d F o o t
2012, aluminum
225 x 100 x 100 cm
2012, aluminum
203 x 120 x 170 cm
Chosen from his exhibition Antique
Collection , the works Hand and
Foot are based on universally
identifiable ancient Roman ruins,
blending the artist ’s fascination
with European classical sculpture
and the impulse of contemporary
viewers to photograph these
˝ancient˝ relics. Disjointed from
their archaeological context, the
sculptures invite the viewers to
explore their own stance, while
evoking longing for a remote
culture.
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T h e U n i v e r s i t y A r t G a l l e r y
It has long been a goal of
Ben-Gurion University of
the Negev to establish a
University Art Gallery, as a
home for art education and
exhibitions. The proposed
gallery will enhance the
landscape with its graceful
design and enrich the lives
of many, while serving
as a bridge between
the University and the
community.
The University Art Gallery will
contribute to the development
of the city of Beer-Sheva as the
cultural capital of the Negev.
The Gallery will be located at
the western edge of the Marcus
Family Campus facing Rager
Boulevard, Beer-Sheva’s main
thoroughfare. Situated at the
northern end of the boulevard,
the gallery will connect the
University to the city’s cultural
landmarks, consolidating
Beer-Sheva’s position as a
cultural and artistic center,
as well as drawing visitors to
the region.
The new facilities will enable
the University to host high-
profile exhibitions, exhibit
its permanent collection,
display loaned artworks from
prestigious museums, and
welcome new gifts from private
collectors, thus enhancing the
intellectual, educational, and
cultural life of the entire region
and broadening horizons by
exposing students and the
wider Negev community to a
wealth of art.
Gallery Design: Chyutin Architects
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The establishment of the Art Gallery
Endowment Fund will provide long-
term support for art exhibitions at
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
and ensure a secure foundation
for the presence of art on campus.
The exhibition of art contributes to
the beautification of our campuses
in Israel’s southern region and
amplifies the Negev’s cultural and
educational resources. The Art
Gallery Endowment Fund will enable
art to flourish and inspire students
and members of the broader
community for generations to come.
BGU currently has three exhibition
spaces, as well as a dedicated
curator committed to art and its
promotion on campus. The Marcus
Family Campus hosts changing
exhibitions (approximately three
a year) at the Senate Gallery in
the George Shrut Visitors Center
in the Samuel and Milada Ayrton
University Center and at the
Avraham Baron Art Gallery in the
Zalman Aranne Central Library. The
University has also been an active
partner in the establishment and
development of the Trumpeldor
Gallery in Beer-Sheva’s Old City.
The gallery aims to create and
promote art activities, exhibitions,
symposiums, and cultural events that
combine theoretical content and
interdisciplinary art. The new venue
attracts visitors from all over Israel
and around the world.
BGU’s art exhibitions offer an
opportunity for students to exhibit
their work, for budding curators to
apply their skills and gain practical
experience, and for the University
to contribute to the development of
Israel’s southern region.
A r t G a l l e r y E n d o w m e n t F u n d
1918