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What the Matter Wants?
2019

Givon Art Forum, Tel Aviv
Curators: Noemi Givon and Nicola Trezzi

“Laundry forest”, after Menashe Kadishman installation (same name) from 1975.

The work is an installation of felt sheet hanged from the ceiling, sound recording of an interview with Maya Kadishamn(Menashe’s daughter) and photo documentation of an performative action of baring the cotton fabric roll(similar to one used by M. Kadishman in his original work)  in the Biram forest. Kadishman’s “Laundry forest” was chosen because of my relation to the soft material used in this work and the unusual and surprising matter, which is not particularly typical and easily recognized with majority of his work. My strategy was to investigate different aspects of this work and Kadishman’s motivation for it. In addition, I ask the most interesting in my opinion question: “What happened to that ‘forest’”- what happened to the material and to this work’s legacy, as I understand it. I started a journey, which founding represented in objects I choose to display. First of all, I searched for the real forest (not human planted), where I can perform the burial ceremony of the cotton fabric roll. By doing this symbolic act I ment  to reterun the material to it’s origins – the land.  Literally transforming the object of metter into it’s poetic name “laundry forest”.  Documentation of this ceremony outcome in the photography displayed in my final installation. Continue Reading

Maya Kadishman, daughter of Menashe Kadishman and manager of the artist's estate, in a personal interview
00:00 / 04:01

I found her

I wanted to exhibit her

And when I opened (the boxes) I was shocked to see it was in such a bad state, as if starting to return to nature.

So second opening after he died, as you dreamed, in old boxes, standing crowded on top of each other. But they were full of mold. It’s nice to think that the trees went through laundry. They laundry was laundered.

I grew up in the action

His actions are who I am

I was there since forever

He was like a little boy when he was excited about what came out. He would cry from Excitement over a painting he made.

Obviously he also had frustrations

Everything became father in a way that doesn’t allow father at all.

It turned from material to art

It means that it first truly started to turn back to raw material that returns to nature. Once it returns to nature it’s consumed and ends.

The moment there’s a preservation work directed to it, you give the artistic weight to its protection and self keeping.

This consuming process, has something very beautiful artistically.

And my father always worked the land. All his work is nature and matter itself.

What you buried in the earth, his intention was to return it to the earth and to extract it from it.

The intention of the work was to be a tree.

He didn’t stop until the last moment. Constantly doing.

I would go up to him at night, in the last years I lived just below his place and that's how I could watch over him all the time.

I would go up to him and when I heard him walking at night, I’d go up to see that he’s ok.

And sometimes, I’d go up with no reason, just to see that he’s ok and he’s always be asleep with a pencil in his hand and a half painted canvas.

He was the closest person to me in the world. Since and forever.

He’s a sculptor, not at all a painter originally.

The shepherd ended up causing his herd to be everywhere.

It was bigger than him

If it were up to him he’s have a sheep in every house.

I will make such sheep that anyone will have money to buy.

He gave low prices on purpose, he made small works on purpose, he made prints, he constantly gave presents. That was his intention

In his eyes, if someone had a sheep at home it was another family that was protected, taken care of.

Every home that has a sheep I’m calm.

And he know that he’s safekeeping that place.

You have to continue your calling

You have to keep on with your calling

Into the depth of faith. Totally

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