The memory of relationships

Indiarsquos vibrant craft and culture has found recognition across the globe and has influenced various forms of art and design Paying homage to this the embassy of Israel has created a platform to examine how Israeli artists from multiple backgrounds have echoed aspects of our country and its cultural nuances in their work Collaborating with the India International Centre in New Delhi the exhibition titled Heat and Dust examines each artistrsquos independent perspective and relationship with the countryBack to the Sources Gangarsquos Source or How I almost became a Sadhu 2021 by Shimon Lev Mixed media 99x71 cmOne of the curators of the exhibition Israeli multidisciplinary artist and photographer Dr Shimon Lev holds a doctorate specialising in the mutual influence of Jewish and Indian cultures He reflects ldquoI first visited India in 1984 when Irsquod just completed my service with the Israeli armyrdquo Lev was approached by the producer of a new gallery in Israel to showcase his work ldquoI started noticing a pattern of influences through my research and instead proposed curating a show with Jewish artists having roots in India Israel is a small country and through all my connections I discovered several young artists who were weaving a fine story about their experiences with India in their workrdquo Levrsquos early works are also being showcased at the exhibit which include self portraits that explore the idea of being a sanyasiTilapia Fish Indian Gyotaku 2017 by Eyal Segal Indian ink on canvas 40x32 cm PicYotam FromSimilarly multidisciplinary artist Maya Smira began her travels across the country after completing her military training She remembers ldquoI always felt a connection to this place since I was a child because of my Indian name While visiting temples palaces villages and mountains I started to get more and more intrigued by women practising different styles of Indian classical dance The delicate balance between exuberant movements and pauses made me think of the philosophy of time motion and rest in our daily livesrdquo Projecting a circle of hand gestures and poses combined with a collage of self portraits while practising a dance Smirarsquos video installation is a symbolic interpretation of the intricacies of this fluid form of Indian artMaya SmiraWhile IndoGerman artist Eyal Segal feels a strong connection with his Indian roots especially in his work he laments the fact that he hasnrsquot had the opportunity to visit the country yet ldquoMost of my work has always explored the roots and origins of a memory When you remember something in that moment you jump back to another time while physically being present somewhere else Often yoursquove never lived through a memory but you feel like itrsquos a part of your DNA I was intensely drawn to create a series with the traditional Japanese Gyotaku method of printing fish The practice which dates back to the mid1800s was used by fishermen to record their catches Over time I discovered that my grandfather who died when I was very young was a fisherman in Cochin This pieced together a puzzle I didnrsquot know I was trying to solverdquoAchia Anzi and Eyal SegalAlthough most of Israeli artist and researcher Achia Anzirsquos work explores the emotions of being an immigrant he wanted to focus on the experience of discovering the nuances of a new place instead of the hardships ldquoWhen I was a backpacker visiting India I would call my family from phone booths These were extremely jugaadu spacesmdashif the fan was on it was too loud to hear my mum and if it was off it would get boiling hot These booths also became black holes of sortsmdashwhen I was in it Irsquod be back home with my family but once Irsquod step out Irsquod get startled by the hustle and bustle on the crowded streetsrdquo he remarks This sensorial experience made him recreate an STDISD booth for a similar immersive experience along with a milestone with the Hebrew word makom ldquoMeaning lsquoplacersquo this is a very loaded word in Israeli culture For many of us the idea of a place of belonging is very abstract and cannot be linked to a single spot Itrsquos a constant discovery of reaching several milestones to figure out who we arerdquoWHAT Heat and DustWHERE wwiicdelhiinprogrammesheatanddustbetweenindiaandzionWHEN Until July 25