Tectonic / Ziv Gennel

Opening: Friday, 23/2/24, 10:00

Closing: Saturday, 13/4/24, 14:00

“I draw inspiration from the topography of the desert and the topography of the human body. I try to find the common denominator between land and flesh.”
Ziv Gennel was inspired by organic topographies. He found this in the landscape of quarries in the Negev on the way to Eilat, at the Dead Sea, in a land sample drilled in the Antarctic and in a human molar tooth. In the past, he was also a dental technician and found a similarity between a still-life of mountains and valleys, cliffs and crevices and the chewing surface of a human tooth. Gennel researched fractals that showed a similarity between the micro and macro structures and translated this in his works. His work process was characteristic of a person who is an artist-researcher. His studio was a research lab, a variety of materials and experiments that were translated into aesthetic, fine and sensitive works. 
The exhibition Tectonic displays layers of land in various forms, underground landscapes next to mountainous landscapes expressed in cylinders, plates, and tiles. The color palette is the various natural colors of clay which Gennel made into crafted and minimalist forms. Alongside these works is a small research lab with a jungle of glaze options which he carefully developed since his days as a student in the Ceramic and Glass Design Department at Bezalel. In addition to his interest in geology, he created a porcelain series of works; petals that become delicate flowers, butterflies, porcelain shards and plates that are eaten into of which he said “I bite into them when they are wet and paint the edge with gold luster. The printed text reminds us of sayings we grew up on, sentences which perhaps we pass on to our children, (for example “Why are you not eating?”, “I made it specially for you”, “just taste” and more). They are said with love and care but could be misinterpreted. The collection was made to present a fun point of view but also to raise the subtext at the table. As the family mean progresses, the food is eaten, and the hidden sentence is exposed”. Gennel uses a variety of materials, which he studied, developed, and incorporated into his works. He created textures, colors, and patterns like the process of a geologist. Describing this process, he said: “I mix different clays, wedging into them minerals that change their color and character, press them into a slab, folding and stretching them. These movements create textures like topography. I try to expose the essence of the clay and the silence of the earth in the Israeli landscape and climate.”
Gennel, with great sensitivity, created aesthetic works with a personal, social, and environmental dialog. The exhibition Tectonic presents layers of spirit and thoughts that were of interest to the artist like layers in a relief designing the landscape of his making.
In 2011 Ziv Gennel completed his studies in the Ceramic and Glass Design Department at Bezalel, Jerusalem. He received the Blumental Prize for his excellent final project. In 2022- 23 he was selected to the design greenhouse of the Design Terminal in Bat Yam and in the same year he exhibited in Fresh Paint 2023 in the Design greenhouse, Tel Aviv-Jaffa. He showed in group exhibitions and had a solo show at Hovot Halevavot in Tel Aviv. 
Ziv Gennel died suddenly in October 2023. The exhibition shows the last series of works that he worked on and the latest landscape series.