The Art of Jerusalem

The Jerusalem Municipality continues to upgrade the streets, parks and public space, and is placing artistic installations throughout the city. Recently, three new art installations have been added in the city: the "Life" sculpture in the Safra Square complex, the skate park in the Bell Garden, and a new art complex in the city center.

The sculpture "Life" rises to a height of three meters, is made of carbon fiber and glass fiber and represents the common source of life for all living things - the water molecule H2O. It is a special project of the Department of Visual Arts and "Outdoor Art in the Public Space" together with the artist Yiftach Geva. The statue stands in front of the historic Jerusalem Municipality building, which has served the Municipality for over 70 years.

"Life" is a pop-art sculpture placed in a classical architectural environment that is reflected on the surface of the object. The water emanating from the base of the statue is also another source of interesting reflections.

In addition, the Jerusalem Municipality inaugurated the upgrade of the skate-park complex in the Liberty Bell Park, where the Jerusalem Skateboard Championships are held every year. The complex, one of the largest and most professional skate-park facilities in Israel, provides a solution for all skaters visiting the city and is suitable for all ages and genders alike.

One of the two rinks of the complex underwent an upgrade and artistic facelift by the artists "Brothers of Light", in which the artists painted a composition that flows together with the shape of the rink and enhances the movement and flow typical of the skaters' style in the rinks, with the horizon around them facing the sky and the sunset.

The colorful work makes the facility stand out from the other facilities in the park, and expresses innovative pop-art influenced by the rich urban culture of the streets of Jerusalem.

Shlomzion Street in the city center has also undergone an artistic facelift, within the space of a future construction site. A hotel will be built on the street in the coming years, and following the construction and the expected demolition and reconstruction, the shops located at street level have been vacated. With the cooperation of the property owners and the Jerusalem Municipality, the area has become a work space for artists that is enjoyed by all passersby.

As part of the plan to upgrade the public space, the Jerusalem Municipality established contact between the property owner and a group of artists in the city, with the aim of using the space for artistic purposes. The artists, who engage in audio-visual works, used the empty shops to create special spaces with various art installations: light installations, benches for the benefit of the public and an art room with a studio for making prints. The main idea that guided the artists was to create beauty and life on an empty site before construction, to take advantage of the buildings that are about to be demolished in the city center, and try to set up a quality art installation for a limited time.

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion said: "The Jerusalem Municipality continues to upgrade the public space, and now, art installations are being placed throughout the city – as befits Israel's cultural and artistic capital. The use of empty spaces and sports facilities constitutes an innovative and excellent use of the city's streets for artistic and cultural purposes. I invite all the city's residents and visitors to come and be impressed by the unique and creative exhibits in our public space."