18 January 2007

Videoart feature
Agricola de Cologne
Israeli artists

Today, 18 January 2007, the show “VideoLand” is running already since 11 December 2006 at Artneuland in Berlin – a new center for a “trialogue” between the big cultures/religions/ideologies – Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

Read the article about Artneuland Berlin

I was attending the opening of the first show at Artneuland, because I was one of the participating artists, and I wanted to meet Yael Katz Ben Shalom, the founder of Artneuland Tel-Aviv in 2002 and now of the new galleryin Berlin, after I met her earlier in 2006 personally in Tel-Aviv for the 1st time.

I never met a charismatic person before with such a power of enthusiasm and intelligence jumping really out of her eyes, really good eyes, if the eyes really are the mirror of the soul, I would like to be surrounded just with such people like Yael.

I am so proud to be part of two shows at Artneuland, but obviously her way as a mediator – which is underlined by the fact that she was bringing together the most important philosophers and thinkers of our time, like Peter Sloterdijk – was not loved by all people, one day during the following years, this wonderful place Artneuland – was closed and Yael Katz Ben Shalom simply left Berlin nearly without leaving any trace – had she given up all her wonderful ideas?

Artneuland Opening
Artneuland – Videoland PDF catalogue

NewMediaFest2020 – would like to honour this outstanding person, much more such persons would be needed in our current completely disorientated world, and I would not be afraid of the future of mankind of our globe.

As an artist and curator myself, it was my aim – similiar like Yael – always to bring people from different cultures, religions or social backgrounds together via art. I am really happy and proud that and how these ideas were supported by those artists who decided to submit, contribute and participate in my projects – it is an equal-minded spirit deeply rooted in the human values, but like Yael also I experienced, that there are other people who do not appreciate such concepts.

These days while the exhibition was running in Berlin had an encouraging effect on me to start later another project as a contribution to a reconciliation between Jews and Germans by founding in 2009 the engaged project context – “Draft title: Shoah” – reacting on the uprising anti-Semitism in Germany and worldwide, and as a result of it I released in January 2010 – Shoah Film Collection, which will be honoured in following diary articles.

View the streaming video, participating in “Videoland” exhibtion
Wilgtried Agricola de Cologne – Message from Behind A Wall, 2005, 10:00
streaming

NewMediaFest2020
is adding a complementary video program
including Israeli artists – selection 1 & 2

streaming Elyasaf Kowner – “Around the fire”, video, 11’, 2003
Dana Levy (Israel) – “Time with Franz”, video, 2004, 11:00
Lital Dotan & Eyal Perry – Embracement, 2004, 10:00

streaming Shahar Marcus (Israel) – El rujm , 2019, 9:43
Guli Silberstein (Israel) – Staring Into Infinity, 2010, 4:50
Masha Yosefpolsky (Israel)- Noli Me Tangere, 2008, 6:20
Jasmine Kainy – Avidan, 2011, 3:35
Yoav Peled – My own private Israel, 2012, 4:15