Artist and actress Nouli Omer’s exhibition “Orla” is centered on a genre of feminist art dating back to the 1970s, engaging with representations of women and the female body in popular culture. In contrast to 20th-century feminist art which was primarily concerned with criticism of images of the female body in the culture industry, arguing that “the personal is political,” the video Orla (2015–24), consisting of filmed scenes of the artist assuming various female personae, introduces an additional critical route.
Omer adds another layer of complexity to the 20th-century feminist approach which challenged media representations of traditional female role by employing the very same expressions and tropes which she criticizes. The video Orla presents a gallery of Israeli women, each representing a different social group, through their stereotypical perspective. Some of them are disciplined, raising normative children, mobilizing them into significant military service or academic studies, but sometimes mishaps occur: Orla, for example, recites praiseful clichés about Israeli society, but in the same vein notes that “every now and then someone murders his wife…” Asia Rapaport, who presents herself as a liberal, enlightened woman, is shocked to discover that her “terribly successful” son is gay.
Featured alongside the video Orla are the sculptures Splendor and Majesty (2019) and Womb (2007), which are based on female body parts and attest to Omer’s acting/playing skills. They burst with creativity with their cheap materiality consisting of knickknacks from one dollar stores and infuse the exhibition with another dimension of critique of the representation of the female body in popular culture and the way it risks turning it into a commodity.
The exhibition furnishes the artist with the freedom to voice a sharp critique of Israeli society, uttered by the characters she portrays. It reminds viewers that the price of women’s freedom to express themselves and speak their minds is that sometimes their words will be impolite and will not align with the discourse of political correctness. The exhibition calls upon viewers to contemplate burning current issues and ask themselves: What would Israeli society look like if women experienced censorship of their bodies and words?
Hadas Kedar
CV
Born 1960
Lives and creates in Tel Aviv
Education
1982-1985 Nissan Nativ Studio (excellence scholarship)
1980-1982 Tel Aviv University, Hebrew Literature and Music
Solo Exhibitions
2024 Emotional threads, a duo exhibition with Meir Sidi, Nulobaz Gallery
2023 Anima’s Eye, Periscope Gallery, Curator: Vera Pilpoul
2022 Azure and Thorns, Givat Haim Gallery, Curator: Hanush Morag
2019 In the Name of Gold, Artists House Tel Aviv, Curator: Vera Pilpoul
2018 Eclectipus, Home, Olifant 8, Tel -Aviv
2017 Smile Happy Bird, Tel Aviv Artists House
2015 Stain, Arsouf Gallery, Tel Aviv
2013 Flying Away, Arsuf Gallery, Tel Aviv
2011 Nekev a, Beit Haamanim, Tel Aviv
2010 If you are a magnet I am a jar, Soho, Tel Aviv
2007 Man Woman, Steel Wool, Office Gallery, Tel- Aviv
2004 The fire-breather and Knights of the romantic electricity, Tam Coffee, Tel- Aviv
1998 The Moss Carnival, Amalia Arbel Gallery, Tel- Aviv
Group exhibitions
2024 And she made for them a sign to see, ZUZU gallery, curator Rotem Ritov
2023 Supermarket art fair, Stockholm, with Nulobaz Gallery
2022 Adama-A-Dam, Yad Lebanim, Rishon Lezion, Curator: Adi Angel
2022 Large embroidery, Al Hazuk Gallery, Natanya, curator Adi Yakutiely
2022 Fresh paint, art fair both curators Vera Pilpoul and Limor Margolis
2022 The Fruit of Revelry, Municipal Gallery, HodHasharon, Israel Curator: Nava Sevilla Sade
2021 Israel Landscape, Art Novela Artfair, Rome, Curator: Vera Pilpoul, Ermanno Tedeschi
2021 House in Ein Hod, Ein Hod Gallery
2021 Take me home, Jerusalem Biennale, old shaarey zedek building, curator Ram Ozeri
2021 Journey around my room, Jerusalem Biennale, Duek Gallery, Mishkenot Sha’ananim,
Curator: Vera Pilpoul, Ermanno Tedeschi
2020 Let There Be Light, Turin, Italy
2020 Gutman’s Vase hosts, Nahum Gutman Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, as part of the illustration
Festival, Curator: Vera Pilpoul
2020 Fluidity Mechanics, Nahum Gutman Museum, Tel Aviv, curator Monica Lavie
2020 Sisterhood II, Bank Discount main quarter, Tel Aviv, curator Shulamit Nus and Hagit Peleg Rotem
2019 Interiors, Hagada Hasmalit Gallery, Tel Aviv, curator Mira Tzeder
2019 Simla, Agripas Gallery, Jerusalem, curator Nomi Tannhauser
2018 Five Floors of Art, Weizmann Institute of Science
2017 Not Smiling, video art, Venice Biennale, curator Venia Bloj
2016 Bird-women, Performance, Miss China Gallery, Paris, curator Damian Barsht
2014 Video participation at the exhibition dedicated to HameuchadGilbert Lascault, Paris
2010 Prey Birds, Song Birds, Zadik Gallery, Tel Aviv, curator Hanna Koman
2010 Without, ZOA, Tel-Aviv.
2009 Bor ve-am haarets , video installation, Janko Dada museum, Ein-Hod, Israel
2005 Red Carpet, Liora Kanterwic, Tel- Aviv
2005 Majority Authority, Saluna, Tel Aviv
projects in the public space
2021 Allegorical Wedding 2021׳, artist wall, on the east wall of the Tel Aviv Artists House