Christie’s New York exhibiting a century of Israeli art
Seminal artworks never before shown outside Israel are currently on view at the auction house’s New York base
Christie’s New York auction house presents “A Hundred Years of Art in Israel,” an exhibition of important art works from the Phoenix Collection, currently open to the public through March 1 at Christie’s Rockefeller Center headquarters. The show marks the Phoenix Group’s 75th anniversary, presenting 70 seminal works that trace Israeli art over the past century.
None of the works on show, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, and video works, have ever been exhibited outside Israel. Two of them will be sold at an auction scheduled for May as part of Christie’s 21st Century Art. Proceeds from the sale will go to support young Israeli artists.
The works are from a collection
of nearly 1,400 works of art owned by the Phoenix Group.
“Our collection is an expression
of the pride we take in our nation’s history, culture, and creativity,” said Phoenix Group CEO Eyal Ben Simon.
“This exhibition of a century
of Israeli art is an opportunity to share works we love with the world at the crossroads of the world, New York City.”
Christie’s US chairman Marc
Porter said that he is not worried about presenting it in the current environment.
“Bringing this important exhibition to New York is an honor for us. This is the peak of a year-long of planning and over two decades of work with the Phoenix group, which started with the sale of their American Collection,” he said.
“I have worked with Israeli institutes throughout my career, including many years as a member of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art’s American Friends association, and I am glad to be a part of this exceptional event,” he added
One of the paintings to be sold in May is the oil painting Reuven Rubin’s Olive Trees in the Galilee (1924). The other piece to be auctioned is Mordechai Ardon’s 1970 A View of the Western Wall. Both artists were members of the founding generation of Israeli artists.
Other notable works included in the exhibition are Avigdor Arikha’s
Easel; David Adika’s Leaves;
Anna Ticho’s Jerusalem Pine Tree; and Nurit David’s Landscape No. II; as well as Yehudit Sasportas’ September Nights
and David Reeb’s Camel/Time.
Considered one of the most comprehensive collections of 20th-century Israeli art, the Phoenix Group’s collection was established in the 1980s by the company’s then-CEO, Joseph Hackmey. Works from the collection were presented in exhibitions at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and the Ashdod Art Museum; some are now on view at the Ramat Gan Museum and others are part of the permanent exhibition at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
The exhibition “A Hundred Years of Art in Israel” runs Feb. 24-March 1 at Christie’s, 20 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sun., 1 p.m.-5 p.m.*