"Life Before and After" exhibition

A display of works by new immigrants from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, reflecting the events they witnessed          

14.2.23-18.7.23 19:00 Harmony Cultural Center Free Accessible

The Harmony Cultural Center in Jerusalem is holding its latest exhibition of works by new immigrants. This art show, like the year 2022 itself, is special. Since February 24, tens of thousands of new immigrants from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus have arrived in Israel. Among them are many engaged in creative and artistic professions who can and want to make their voices heard in their new country. The exhibition features the works of 22 artists who recently arrived from the three countries.

Many of them left in a hurry, without bringing their artwork with them, but kept their desire to create art. Among the works in the exhibition are ones made some time before leaving, ones made on the way to Israel, and ones made after arrival. That’s why the exhibition is titled "Life Before and After".

The events witnessed by the artists are reflected in the themes, style, and motifs of the works. For example, Nikolay Sokolov painted during his evacuation from Ukraine, and his tragic works are reminiscent of those of German expressionists during World War II. Every day since February 25, Victor Melamed, an artist from St. Petersburg, paints portraits of Ukrainian civilians killed during the war, and publishes them one by one on Instagram with a short text about the person and the circumstances of his or her death.

In the works created following immigration to Israel, it is interesting to see the perspectives of artists who just arrived the country, and the details of their newfound reality in their works.

We hope that the catalog and the exhibition will not only help these artists build new lives in Israel, but also contruibute to the development of cultural life in the country and its capital, Jerusalem.