Tel Aviv, Israel - The Tel Aviv Museum of Art is pleased to present "Inside Job: Street Art in Tel Aviv", on view at the Helena Rubinstein Pavillion for Contemporary Art from August 25th through January 14th 2012. ARTKABINETT collector members always enjoy viewing the contemporary upside of this ancient region. In recent years, the streets of Tel Aviv – especially those in the city's central and southern neighborhoods – have been flooded with visual images, which pop up on the exteriors of abandoned houses and on other types of walls. These images range from simple slogans to complex graffiti inscriptions and carefully planned, colorful compositions. Some of these works are remarkably large, while others are small and almost invisible; what characterizes them all is the bold and innovative relationships they forge with the surrounding urban environment. Created by various artists, these images are defined by different stylistic choices and techniques (ranging from the use of spray paint or acrylic paint to stenciling and the addition of pasted elements). Some of these works are painted in color, while others are black-and-white. They are all characterized by a clandestine and illegal production process, which usually takes place in areas that are not closely surveyed by the police and by city authorities. It is precisely in such areas that passersby may suddenly discover a new world – one where gray walls glow with colorful, creatively designed images, whose language quickly becomes familiar to those in the know. The artists participating in this exhibition are among the most prominent streets artists currently active in Tel Aviv, and their works are visible throughout the city. Passersby have become familiar with Know Hope's figures (whose eyes are always closed), Klone's foxes, Adi Sened's mini-boxes, Foma's delicate figures, and the colorful compositions created by other artists. These artists are all motivated by a love of art and by a desire to express their emotions and to appeal to the largest possible number of passersby (the majority of whom do not visit museums and galleries). This exhibition introduces these creators into the museum, and features their artworks on its white walls. In doing so, it strives to underscore the legitimacy of this unique art form, which is characterized by its own language, and to integrate it into artistic discourse. The Tel Aviv Museum of Art is Israel’s leading museum of modern and contemporary art, and home to one of the world’s largest collections of Israeli art. Since its founding in 1932, the Museum has served as one of Tel Aviv’s major cultural hubs, displaying a vibrant mix of permanent collections and temporary exhibitions in a wide variety of fields – painting, sculpture, prints and drawings, photography, video, architecture and design. Each year, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art welcomes more than 500,000 visitors, offering them over twenty annual Israeli and international art exhibitions. Situated in an impressive architectural complex, the Museum is an integral part of the city’s major cultural center – the Golda Meir Cultural and Art Center – home to the Israeli Opera and the Cameri Theater.
