FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nicole Edwards
nedwards@spacesgallery.org
Office/Fax: 216.621.2314
www.spacesgallery.org
Israeli artist joins SPACES as 26th artist-in-residence to engage with
Northeast Ohio and create new work
Efrat Klipshtien
(Tel Aviv, Israel)
SPACES World Artists Program
Residency:
March 30-June 8, 2009
Exhibition Dates:
May 15-July 17, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009, 7pm, Free
PRESENTATION & PERFORMANCE:
Meet the artist and learn about her past work, her upcoming project (opening
reception May 15, 6 -9 p.m.), and enjoy a performance.
Cleveland, OH, April 2, 2009 - Efrat Klipshtien (Tel Aviv, Israel) recently arrived in Cleveland on March 30th to begin her nine-week residency as the
twenty-sixth SPACES World Artist. She has exhibited widely in Israel at
venues such as the Haifa Museum, Noga Gallery of Contemporary Art in Tel
Aviv, and the Israel Museum. This will be her first residency in the United
States. As part of her residency program, Klipshtien will conduct a free
presentation on her past work, speak about her ambitions in Cleveland during
her stay, and present a special performance titled Opening Out on Saturday,
April 11 at 7pm. Klipshtien's exhibition will open with a reception Friday,
May 15, 2009 from 6-9 p.m. and will be on view through July 17, 2009.
While in the Israeli army, Efrat Klipshtien provided nature tours at various
sites in the mountains. After her service, she began to implement more
non-conventional tour tactics into her art practice as a performance artist.
Drawing on her experiences as a guide, Klipshtien explores the dynamics of
the viewer's relationship with public spaces, objects, and positions of
power. Through subtle feminist-political delivery, Klipshtien engages
audiences through a versatile range of media.
In Cleveland, the artist plans to capitalize on the differences in culture
and language between Israel and Cleveland to further her investigation of
performance. Klipshtien also plans to explore local materials for possible
use in a large-scale gallery installation.
Klipshtien writes in her statement, "For me, the spectator is part of the
journey, and his [.] experience within the installation consciously includes
[.] the distance he passes in the installation and the distance between him
and the art work, while visible and hidden temptations take the experience
to the extreme."
Klipshtien received a B.A in psychology and geography from the Ben-Gurion
University (Israel, 1992) followed by an M.Sc. in industrial design at the
Israel Institute of Technology (1997). In 1998, Klipshtien studied art at Ha
Midrasa, Beit Berl College (Israel, 1998).
Through a partnership with the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, the
artist's residency is extended form the usual 8-week stay to 9-weeks,
allowing for deeper engagement with the community. Major funds for
Klipshtien's residency are provided by the Ohio Arts Council. As part of
this Ohio Arts Council funded residency, a partnership with the Haifa Museum
(Israel) resulted in identifying Efrat Klipshtien as SPACES' most recent
artist-in-residence.
SWAP was created to give visiting artists from around the world an
opportunity to create new work and interact with Northeast Ohioans.
Currently, SWAP consists of four 8-week residencies per year by national and
international artists who create a new body of work that is exhibited at the
conclusion of their stay. SPACES also produces a full-color brochure with a
critical essay to document each residency. Klipshtien's performances during
her residency are made possible through a collaboration with Rebecca Sweet
and her students from Viva Dance! Studio.
Major support comes from The Cleveland Foundation; The George Gund
Foundation; Kulas Foundation; John P. Murphy Foundation; National Endowment
for the Arts; Nimoy Foundation; Ohio Arts Council; and Process Creative
Studios. Additionally, SPACES is generously funded by Cuyahoga County
residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
SPACES is located at 2220 Superior Viaduct, in Cleveland. Superior Viaduct
runs parallel to the Detroit Superior Bridge at the intersection of West
25th Street. Gallery hours are Tues-Thurs, 11am-5:30pm; Fri 11am-7pm; Sat
11am-5pm and Sun 1-5pm. Admission to SPACES and its events are free and open
to the public.
For more information, visit www.SPACESgallery.org, call 216-621-2314 or
email info@SPACESgallery.org.
