Tel Aviv Museum of Art

New Exhibition :
Tel Aviv Museum of Art

Shira Zelwer’s installation Gathering of Birds presents close to 400 birds standing still on the gallery floor – like a moment frozen in time, perhaps a nocturnal stop on their journey. The birds, of varied species and true to their natural size, congregate in groups, as if conversing among themselves. They were all sculpted from wax and meticulously hand-painted by the artist, culminating in a colorful and stunning spectacle.

Wax is a transparent, soft and malleable material. It can be melted and shaped, or sculpted when it is stable and solid, and lends itself to expressing aspects of humanness, vulnerability and imperfection. These traits are at the center of Zelwer’s work, which is concerned with still lifes, the ravages of time, and transience. In contrast to the fluid nature of the wax, the placement of the birds on the gallery space is rigid and fixed.

Zelwer does not depict a sight seen in reality, but rather creates an imaginary scene, at once enchanting and disturbingly still. The rich array of birds and their mode of display resonate with exhibitions in natural history museums or cabinets of curiosities, created for both educational and entertainment purposes.

Among the birds are rare and ostentatious ones with magnificent plumage, as opposed to “common,” unremarkable ones; some are specimens that thrive in a flock, while others are known as committed partners and parents, and yet others are threatening birds of prey. Zelwer chose 86 different species of birds from an illustrated encyclopedia of the flora and fauna of the land of Israel.

These birds, which have all been observed and documented in Israel, include native species, invasive species, and migratory birds that pass fly through Israel on their way from Europe to Africa. The choice of birds pertaining to the local sphere is anchored in Zelwer’s practice, which employs a wide range of images taken from the Israeli cultural landscape.

As in her previous works, in the installation Gathering of Birds Zelwer has intuitively chosen motifs related to her personal world. Looking from a bird’s-eye view, she explores her own identity as an artist, a woman, and an Israeli. She examines her relationships with family and friends, with people in close and distant circles, evoking feelings of both belonging and foreignness. In Zelwer’s words: “It’s not really about birds . . . .”

Tel Aviv museum of art: Tel Aviv museum of art

A “tour de force” by the accomplished Israeli-Australian artist Shira Zelwer, the exhibition sets a new standard for the Shif prize, the museum and the contemporary art scene in Israel. Zelwer’s approach to any of her projects is unwavering since her student years at the Midrasha: a compelling and unique sculpting technique rooted in traditional realism, relatable familiar and personal subjects. The complexity, beyond the magistral craftsmanship, is infinitely more layered. In her own words, Shira explains:

“I use art to glorify ordinary subjects and instances and thus compel the observer to focus on them in detail. I sculpt with raw wax, constantly exploring new ways to manipulate it and once shaped I paint them. The painting process brings the sculptures back to life, I paint the sculptures in a very precise and detailed manner, however, not perfect, imitating life. I would like to allow the observer, when facing my subjects, often common objects, experience desire and compassion towards them.”
Shira Zelwer