Elements | Nico Teen

The final scene in the documentary about the artist Louise Bourgeois offers a powerful demonstration of childhood’s impact on our psyche. Bourgeois’s story, which she recounts for the camera teary eyed, her voice cracking, is at the heart of the exhibition that explores the tension between the experience of adulthood and our inner child. A life-long coming of age journey; reflections of our external and internal interactions; getting to know ourselves, our strengths, abilities, and our body throughout the constant flux of life; and finally – the dialogue between what is expected of us and our authentic inner voice. 

The works address traditional, mythological, and artistic lineages related to femininity but also exceed it – soft, warm, and perishable materials, evocative of the circle of life, the passage of time, and labor-intensive actions, which symbolize, among other

things, memory, tradition, and ornamentality, a longing for beauty from a place of pain and healing.

Over a decade ago, photographer Yair Hovav chose to turn his attention to prisons in Israel. He offers a lucid gaze at the corridors and prisoner’s rooms, the dining, work, and recreation areas – a gaze clear of any judgement or criticism. Human presence imbues the photographs, which hold tenderness and difficulty, scarcity and beauty. These serve as a window to a space that is not accessible to us. The choice to linger on the intimate and trivial details reflects moments that tell us something about the prisoners – and about us as a society.

Here, the works are exhibited as a series for the first time. Hovav’s perspective, which is characterized by compassion and great human sensitivity, seems more relevant than ever today, when the Israeli space is in a constant state of turmoil.