The Bravery & Brotherhood of Combat

Hanina Gallery, Tel Aviv

2016

Participating Artists: Adar Aviam, Yoash Foldesh and Ron Winter

The exhibition "The Bravery & Brotherhood of Combat” presents the work of three young Israeli painters, contemplating on themes of masculinity following their IDF military service.

The title of the exhibition is taken from a commemorative sign situated at the Tel Saki memorial site in the Golan Heights, on the ruins of an attacked bunker from the Yom Kippur war, where 35 soldiers were killed. It stands as a reminder of a time period in which the memory of the dead was commemorated, and the strength of the mythical combat spirit was largely based on the strong bond between the fighting men.

Over 40 years later, it seems that the memory of their bravery and brotherhood faded away, leaving room for criticism over the unnecessary death of the soldiers who remain anonymous and forgotten. The growing part of individualism, along with the pluralism of multiple voices in Israeli society, gives room to different and new voices when dealing with “other” representational forms of heroism, bromance and post-trauma.

In the work of Adar Aviam, Yoash Foldesh and Ron Vinter, men are no longer placard heroes. They search for comfort and mutual touch, for companionship and expressions of anxiety. They can express their vulnerability and their embrace of failure.

In a society that slowly shifts from total machismo into an arena of multiple voices and representations, this exhibition follows recent changes in the perceptions of masculine masquerade.

This exhibition is the 3rd part in a trilogy of group exhibitions dealing with Israeli masculinities, by the curator Sagi Refael

2006 - MEN, The museum of Israeli art, Ramat Gan

2009 - Cockeye : Male Nude in Contemporary Israeli Art, Gal-On Art Space, Tel Aviv