The festival Days of Israel at Beseder Gallery shows that “Israeli art” is not a multitude of lived experiences

When we think about the art of a particular nation, we often imagine a shared aesthetic or a unified theme. Yet a nation is not a single organism. It is a network of stories, migrations, ruptures, faith, and doubt. This is precisely why art functions as such a sensitive seismograph: it does not depict a country itself, but the people within it – and their constantly shifting relationship to who they are.

The fifth edition of the Days of Israel festival makes this principle visible through three exhibitions that differ in almost every aspect, yet remain in dialogue with one another. In one case, identity appears as an open wound; in another, family emerges as a living chaos; and in the third, questions become a language that refuses to age.

1) “Gelman – a Jew”: an identity that cannot be delegated

For a long time, Marat Gelman was the one shaping the statements of others. The exhibition “Gelman – a Jew” presents him in a relatively new role – not as a curator, but as an author. Through visual works created with the help of artificial intelligence, he confronts his own Jewish identity, a theme that has become newly urgent for many people after the events of October 7.

The exhibition builds on his project Bad/Good Jew and responds to the current atmosphere – a moment when many individuals are beginning to speak openly about aspects of themselves they previously did not emphasize. This is an intimate dialogue with the self, a search for a place of belonging.

The chosen medium is significant: artificial intelligence is not merely a tool here, but a language. As if the artist were saying that when the world changes too quickly, we need a new grammar for old questions – Where do I belong? What do I carry? What speaks through me? The result is a visual diary that is not about perfection, but about the courage to articulate oneself.

2) “Mishpuhe / Mishpacha / Family”: family as a space where one can breathe

This exhibition is “family-like” not only in theme, but also in form – so do not expect a unified manifesto. It is closer to a shared table, where naïve and conceptual approaches, intimacy and distance, painting and photography coexist. And this is precisely what makes it truthful: family, after all, is not a single topic, but the coexistence of differences.

The project is grounded in a key idea: in emigration, family is not inherited – it is built through mutual choice, safety, and the freedom to step out of constant roles. Coordinator Marina Mundryan brings together 28 creators with Jewish roots, creating a space where what matters is not only what hangs on the wall, but also what emerges between people.

3) “In Between the Words”: when an answer is not only a sentence, but also an image

Mark Polyakov paints a dense, layered world – at times painful, at times ironic– much like our inner speech. Dmitry Brikman collects children’s questions that are brutally simple: “Who am I?” “Why do people go to war?” “What happens after death?”

The strength of this project lies in its refusal to translate these questions into correct answers. Instead, it allows them to resonate – and responds through painting. What emerges is a dialogue between adults guided by a childlike compass: honesty. The exhibition reminds us that some things cannot be resolved through argument; they can only be experienced.

Schedule

Gelman – a Jew | Marat Gelman
March 5 – March 19, 2026
Opening: March 5, 18:30

Mishpuhe / Mishpacha / Family | Group Exhibition
March 22 – April 5, 2026
Opening: March 22, 14:00

In Between the Words | Mark Polyakov & Dmitry Brikman
April 7 – April 12, 2026
Opening: April 7, 18:30
19:30 – Interactive session “Children’s – Not So Children’s Questions”

More info: Beseder Gallery – Days of Israel