In this one-person exhibition, artist Galia Gur Zeev presents two series of photographs that explore family gatherings around the dining table; these photographs join together to form a single show. The series Table consists of a wall piece depicting the diners around the table from a bird's-eye view; the series Seder is an elaboration of the former. In both series the table is nonexistent, and the meal did not really take place. In both, the relevant information emerges from the black.
The Passover Seder is one of the most important festive meals in Jewish tradition. This gathering rearranges the family unit each meal anew, demanding "stocktaking" of the family members, a routine, familiar and comforting ritual carried out from one meal to the next. A great deal of tension, excitement, joy and sadness come together in this occasion. The meeting around the table maps out the present and the absent; the change of roles in the family, as well as those aspects which are an integral part of life, such as the soldier figure, which places the family in Israel, reflecting a reality of constant anxiety.
Gur Zeev's photographs address a person's relationships with oneself, one's body, and one's family, portraying a universe centered on the home and the family. While she portrays her own family, they always keep a certain distance, looking into the camera lens as if they were signifiers of the general concept of family.
Galia Gur Zeev was born in Israel. She is a B.F.A. graduate of the Department of Photography, Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem and among the founders and directors of Limbus Gallery, Tel Aviv—an alternative exhibition space dedicated to photography. Her work has been exhibited at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv; her works are also included in their permanent collections. Galia is a recipient of the Leon Constantiner Photography Award for an Israeli Artist, Tel Aviv Museum of Art (2002), and the Creativity Encouragement Award, the Israeli Ministry of, Culture, and Sport (2008).
This exhibition was curated by Shosh Dagan. The opening reception will take place on Thursday, March 11 at 5PM. For more information, please visit the Milton J. Weill Art Gallery website.