ESTHER SHALEV-GERZ
Exhibition
Koffler Gallery, 2018
Photo documentation by Toni Hafkenscheid
Internationally recognized for her significant contributions in the fields of public art, photography and video installation, Paris-based artist Esther Shalev-Gerz consistently investigates the construction of memory, history, nature, democracy and cultural identity. Developed through active dialogue with diverse communities, the projects in this exhibition foreground participants’ individual and collective experiences.
In The Gold Room, Shalev-Gerz proposes a reading of the cultural value of objects through ten stories of provenance. The Portraits of Stories (Les Portraits des Histoires) examines coexisting narratives that collectively define a place, while First Generation invites immigrants to reflect on their experiences of integration. Finally, The Place of Art explores diverse perceptions of art and its societal position – both physical and ideological.
With thoughtful, nuanced approaches to collaboration, Shalev-Gerz’s artworks confront the practice of portraiture, considering how it may address contemporary politics of representation. Examining the impact of time and space on identity constructions, places and (hi)stories, these works record, critique and expand the understanding of the social role of artistic practice.
With thoughtful, nuanced approaches to collaboration, Shalev-Gerz’s artworks confront the practice of portraiture, considering how it may address contemporary politics of representation. Examining the impact of time and space on identity constructions, places and (hi)stories, these works record, critique and expand the understanding of the social role of artistic practice.
Artist Info
Originally from Vilnius, Lithuania, Esther Shalev-Gerz (born Gilinsky) moved with her family to Jerusalem in 1957, where she graduated from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design. Since 1984 she lives and works between Paris and Cortes Island, Canada. Major retrospective exhibitions at Jeu de Paume in Paris (2010), Musée des Beaux Arts in Lausanne (2012), and the Wasserman Projects in Detroit (2016) establish her as a widely respected artist, along with her significant public works in Hamburg, Israel, Stockholm, Wanas, Geneva, Glasgow and more. She is currently producing her latest permanent artwork, The Shadow in Vancouver.
