How do you say baznat (Hebrew) in English?...
The story of exhibit 286, “Change”, making its way to the Playa from Russia.
The artists:
We all live now in different parts of the world. But the changes in this world affect us all: us, you, other people you know and other people you don’t know. We all feel that unity, we are all in this, and yet everyone goes his or her path of change alone. We hope this art piece will give everyone space and time to feel that. And if you are going thorough the change, come, sit on the last step like a bird and decide, where to go next
“Change” is an initiative by a Russian group (which also joined us with art at Midburn 2017) with 17 members, whose names will not be named at the moment. You will immediately understand why.
The message "Change" wants to spread is that while each of us goes through the changes in his life alone, with himself, in his own country, there is something that connects us all, affects us all together, and makes us one.
How difficult is it to bring a large installation, that will ultimately be burned, from Russia? Let's count the challenges…
First challenge: language. Every form. Every email...was sometimes translated just for them.
Second challenge: finances. What a time to deal with Russia, to get out of it, to buy tickets, when the whole world is against it, including the credit card companies that reject Russian credit cards.
With great effort of the ticketing department, and some Israeli creativity, everyone was assigned tickets!
And a third challenge: safety.
How to simplify the communication of the safety elves with Russia (and how do you say baznat (Hebrew) in English?...) and this is not a small installation, but a large installation that is destined to burn.
This is where the FAST team of the fire department came into the picture (Right on Assaf!) and everything worked out.
Fourth challenge: a grant from the Art Fund.
Here the group lived up to a huge challenge. The application was of a high standard and included professional sketches, simulations, explanations. And indeed, the art fund approved a grant of 10,000 NIS. wow
Fifth challenge: signing an art contract.
Bureaucracy is the least of our pleasures (all of us), especially when you have to patiently explain every little detail.
So what happens now?
The group, led by Sema, a young and agile guy is already here, are staying with the friends from the T-Spot camp. They work in a workshop in Tel Aviv, and why don't we publish their names? Because Russia... because war... because they asked.
So look for the installation on the Playa, give them a hug and come to the burning of the installation on Thursday, get excited with us and with them.
Because as they say, change happens to all of us.
Exhibit 286 is participating in a special project of the art department which seeks to invite and promote international artists in Israel, to bring together different communities and groups with our event and to bring to the playa more voices and sights less familiar to us on a regular basis.
Efrat Fishbein, the art leader initiated an open call for artists from abroad which was distributed around the world with the help of the Sisters in Europe association, in Facebook groups and even the Burning Man foundation distributed it to all its artists.
Indeed, among the hundreds of Israeli installations there were several from abroad.
Some of them fell off due to various constraints, but that is the story of one installation that succeeded and is in the process of being realized right now.
And it's exciting.