Join international artist Zadok Ben-David and Eilat Lieber, Director and Chief Curator of the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum for a conversation about Ben David’s new exhibition, On the Other Side and the new role of the renewed museum as a centre for art, culture, heritage and history in Jerusalem.
Ben-David’s sculptures and video installations are now being exhibited throughout the grounds of the museum and in the new entrance pavilion, recently opened in March 2024, as part of the impressive £40 million renewal project of the entire museum and complex.
This will be a unique opportunity to view the video installation currently being shown in the exhibition, talk to the artist and get the lowdown on what it takes to turn a historic citadel into an immersive museum that fuses ancient Jerusalem with the contemporary city today.
There will be an opportunity to ask questions.
Zadok Ben-David
Zadok Ben-David is an Israeli artist of international renown, now working from London. In 2022, he held an exhibition in Kew Gardens and is currently also exhibiting in China.
Born in Yemen, at the age of six months Zadok Ben-David came on Aliyah to Israel with his family, which made its home in Ness Ziona. In the early 1970s he attended the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, discontinuing his studies following the claim that he wouldn’t succeed as an artist. After fighting in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, he attended the School of Art at the University of Reading and completed studies in sculpture at Central St Martin's College of Art and Design t in London, where he taught for five years.
In 1988, Ben-David was chosen to represent Israel at the Venice Biennale, and he went on to win many international awards and to exhibit his work in numerous venues across the globe. In 2008, Ben-David’s space-specific floor installation titled Blackfield was exhibited at the Singapore Biennale and in 2009 it was displayed at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Blackfield incorporates over twenty thousand steel-etched flowers that are colorful on one side, and completely black on the other. The success of the exhibition was unprecedented, with record-breaking crowds coming to see it. Blackfield was subsequently exhibited in Japan, the U.S., Australia, Central Asia, and throughout Europe. It is now being shown in the Biennale in China.
The exploration of contradictions and changing circumstances is the central motif in Ben-David’s lifelong work. It is expressed in various ways by means of fantastical images inspired by the natural world, metaphors for the complex spirit of man. Current events are indisputably present in this exhibition, granting the exhibition another layer and a depth of meaning that feels almost prophetic. Through images from the natural world, Ben-David touches the tension between the poles in the space where both man and nature oscillate – between loss and renewed growth, between darkness and light, between despair and optimism restored.
About the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum
The Tower of David Jerusalem Museum, located in the ancient citadel of Jerusalem’s Old City, tells the multifaceted story of the city of Jerusalem through a fusion of ancient artefacts and interactive and immersive technology.
Following a decade in planning and a four-year and £40 million renewal and conservation project, the new and groundbreaking permanent exhibition, shown in the ancient guard rooms of the citadel, offers a nuanced look at the city's rich history and fosters dialogue about its future. The renewal was led by the Clore Israel Foundation.
A multi-disciplinary team of professional worked to create an engaging and accessible museum, providing visitors a unique opportunity to learn about their own heritage while gaining an understanding of the heritage of others and the significance of Jerusalem to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Visitors can explore the ancient towers, enjoy stunning views of the city, and experience immersive exhibitions that bring Jerusalem's diverse heritage to life.
At night, the ancient walls become the backdrop to spectacular sound and light shows. Spread over 2.5 acres, the Tower of David is the national heritage site that greets every visitor to the Old City and with the entrance pavilion, opened in March 2024, the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum has become the new gateway to Jerusalem's Old City.
