Date: 4.4.2023 - 19:00
An exhibition by photographer Helen Mountaniol and musician Kutiman
4. 2023 – 5. 5. 2023
Opening on April 4th 2023 at 19:00 in the presence of Helen Mountaniol
Helen Mountaniol will present three series of photographs: the lyrical "The Web", capturing ghostly landscapes by a stream on the outskirts of Jerusalem, "Kapparot", documenting in distinctively artistic photographs the atonement ritual performed by Orthodox Jews before the holiday of Yom Kippur, and "High Risk Classification", which, based on the experience of the photographer from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reflects on the dangers faced by children in times of war in general, and on their no less terrifying future as soldiers once they grow up. The installation will be complemented by music videos by Israeli musician Kutiman, created as joyful sound and visual portraits of the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Mo - Sa: 11:00 - 23:00
free admission (entrance through the courtyard of the Beseder Restaurant)
NB: the Gallery will be exceptionally closed from April 17 to 21
The exhibition will frame the cultural festival Israel Days organized on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Israel's independence, and in which the Beseder Gallery will also offer the theatre show "Address Unknown" by the MA Theater, based on the book of the same name by Kresman Taylor, a jazz concert by the Petra Ernyei Trio, a discussion on Czech-Israeli relations, a signing of the comic book "So here we are, Moses!!!" by writer Pavlína Šulcová and artist Kakalík, a workshop for adults and children on baking the Jewish holiday bread challah and many others.
The festival is under the patronage of the Embassy of Israel in Czech Republic.
Helen Mountaniol is an award-winning independent photographer based in Prague, CZ. Wandering and exploring the globe in an endless search of narratives, her works offer an extensive approach to the anthropological quest. Using a sophisticated visual hook, Hellen deals with a wide range of traits as she grips the viewer’s attention to offer a different approach to social order and human rights.
Today Helen is a photography student at FAMU University in Prague and exhibited her "Soutok" and "Silent Islands" series at AMU Gallery (2022).
Helen Mountaniol is a multiple-award winner in over 150 international contests. She is a finalist of the 2016 WPO (World Photography Awards) Collective Exhibition at Somerset House, London, "Time & Silence in Layers" series.
Her private exhibition of the "LiveIt" series started with the exhibition in Tel Aviv-Jaffa City Hall (Enav Cultural Center) and continued in multiple hospitals in Israel (2019).
Helen got an Honorable Mention of “Prix de la Photographie,” Paris, for "High-Risk Classification" series (2017).
She is a Gold winner of the Lucie Awards in the Political Editorial for her "Coup d'etat in Colors" series. Helen’s work has been featured in various publications such as Aperture Magazine, National Geographic Spain, and Photo Vogue Magazine.
www.helen-mountaniol.com
Ophir Kutiel, professionally known as Kutiman, is an Israeli musician, composer, producer and animator, born in Jerusalem in 1982. Kutiel studied jazz at Rimon Music College in Tel Aviv. Later introduced to Afrobeat and funk music, Kutiel travelled to Jamaica to research reggae. He released his first single in 2006 and his debut album the following year. He produced other artists’ material, performed with his Kutiman Orchestra and started creating videos to music for which he plays all instruments.
His Video Remix/Mashup project “ThruYOU”, an original collage of found videoclips from all over the world, became a worldwide internet phenomenon. It was followed by the similarly conceived “City Project”, with intimate musical and video landscapes or audio-visual portraits of cities (Tokyo, Riga, Krakow, New York…), or with tributes to other bands (Maroon 5, Led Zeppelin). These videos can be seen as social art, as their playful style mirrors a will of bringing people from different cultures and paths of life together (an attitude also reflected in the fact that he lists all the sources he is remixing and in his frequent use of videos of amateur musicians found on Youtube). A similar attitude can be found in the 2011 video “This Is Real Democracy”.
In 2015-2016, he launched his own label, Siyal Music, on which he has released tracks featuring styles such as ambient, electronica, minimalism, new age, and ambient-jazz fusion. In 2019, he was commissioned the piece “Antarctica” by Greenpeace to help bring awareness about climate change. His last solo album, “Open”, infused with elements of soul and Middle-East psycho-funk, came out in 2022.
We are grateful to him for having accepted to complement Helen Mountaniol’s exhibition with a soundscape and two videos: there is no joyful togetherness where there is no prior self-reflection, and his Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Mixes – one echoing the more modern side of Israel, the other being a sacred place to many different religious traditions – are thus creating a joyful, exhilarating counterpoint to her more reflective and introspective photography.
www.youtube.com/@kutiman
