Studio 37

 Art Picks by Dana & Rotem

We sat down with Dana and Rotem for a short conversation... in which they shared their unique selection journey:

Briefly describe the collection:
"The Art of Wandering | On Urban Poetics"
"The works we chose succeed in framing moments in time and in the urban space. Observing the body of works as a whole allows us a renewed reading of an imagined urban narrative that is subjectively interpreted by each viewer..."

What theme guided you in selecting the works?
"The theme that guided us was based on wandering in the urban space, on inspiration and lingering. We love to wander in our city. To observe. To stop, listen, and feel. To go out and wander, a person needs time. To take a break from the automation of daily life and embark on a journey that begins with a change of perspective. Wandering in the city invites encounters with everything that is not perfect, incomplete, broken, peeling, cracked, and full of potential yet to be realized... Observing the layers, the people, listening to the sounds, focusing on the smells. The urban geometry, the chaos, the intensity, the air between the masses, the random composition, the lines and spots, the dirt and its beauty, the fashion, the graphics, the textures, the memories, the nostalgia, the preservation and destruction – all these exist in 'good' cities in wonderful harmony..."

What is your earliest memory of art?
"Our shared memory of art is from our joint study period. We had a small niche course with architect Professor Gilad Duvshani called 'Museums' where in each lesson he took us to a different exhibition and we had the opportunity to talk to the artists and hear from them an explanation of the creative process and what was behind the works. It was an eye-opening course that whetted our appetite."

What led you to start collecting art?
"Our need to integrate and introduce additional layers into the home space, and fill it with inspiration, spirit, culture, and visual stories from different periods, creators, and places."

Do you have any advice to give a budding collector?
"Start small... step by step. Don't take yourselves and your choices too seriously... incorporate humor into the developing collection and don't try to create 'sets' or series... when works are chosen intuitively and from the gut, they will work together and create harmony! We strongly recommend not choosing works based on what you think would be 'right' but rather on what you feel inspires you."

And in conclusion...?!
"How wonderful that the bubble of Gallery 1of135 exists in the city, succeeding in making art accessible, cleverly and stylishly combining a wide selection of artists and media under one roof!"

Thank you, Dana and Rotem, it was a pleasure!
We see designers as full partners and quality ambassadors to promote and assist in art education in general and Israeli art in particular. It is easy to see how the works Gil chose can, even for a moment, instill in us hope and optimism for better and quieter days!