Caesurae | Exhibition in the 23rd Nidbach Series

Zohar Alef’s language borrows from the psychoanalytic field and from the writings of Wilfred R. Bion, who proposes a paradoxical praxis: to get in touch with falsehood to face the truth (“Caesura,” 1977).

A secret revealed in her family forces Zohar to construct consciousness anew. Art serves her as a tool for delving deeper into the roots of her personal story, but also for the investigation of life in general, on the way to creating a different narrative.

In preparation for the exhibition at the Jerusalem Artists’ House, Zohar forged an affinity with Ze’ev Raban’s (1890–1970) stone reliefs installed at the entrance to the building which address the narrative underlying the most primal sins: temptation, thirst for knowledge, jealousy, and hubris; sins punishable by banishment and exile, whose purpose is rebuilding.

The decision to paint with liquid ink and natural, organic and delicate charcoal on alienated, rough-industrial concrete blocks indicates Zohar’s insistence on creating connections and bonds from conflict.