Today (June 19) we visited the “Suspicious Objects” exhibition located in the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem. The exhibit featured works constructed by students of the Holon Institute of Design, which also happened to be our Madricha Hadar’s, school! (Hadar was also a former shlicha, or Israel emissary, in Cleveland in 2006. ) The really cool and intriguing exhibit featured works that were both functional and connected to the city of Jerusalem.
What is the difference between art and design, we asked.
They seem to go hand in hand though they have distinct qualities, Hadar explained. She said that art is a way to express an idea or emotion in any way, shape, or form, whereas in design the idea trying to be conveyed is represented in a useful and purposeful way. In this sense, design can help us to understand abstract ideas.
But why connect the art to Jerusalem, one might ask? Why not Tel Aviv or Eilat or Beit Shean? First, Jerusalem is considered the “belly button of the world” and is viewed as a holy city in many different cultures and religions. With such an historic background filled with conflict, controversy and culture, there’s a lot to explore and learn from its past, as well as its present.
Another intriguing aspect of the exhibit is the name itself. Why “Suspicious Objects”? Though some of the pieces did look quite curious, the look of the designs was not the only reason the exhibition got its name.
“חפצ חשוד” The name in Hebrew, is a phrase often used in terrorist situations, such as when a typically harmless bag suddenly changes to an object of skepticism when left unattended. “חפצ” means good ( with respect to an object) whereas “חשוד” means shady or sketchy.
The whole exhibit really opened my eyes to things in ways I had never thought of before. Our entire group really enjoyed the experience of delving into how Israeli design can connect both the old and the new, politics and art.