Israelis often feel they live in a glass house, the world scrutinizing their every move.
Two Israeli artists have brought the metaphor to life in San Francisco with “The Glasshouse,” an evocative and brave performance piece that dramatizes the lack of privacy in today’s world, particularly in Israel.
Lital Dotan and Eyal Perry live 24/7 in a gallery space on one of the city’s busiest downtown streets, inviting passers-by to watch them at any hour of the day or night. Yup, no shades on those big plate-glass windows.
You can see their bed, and even spend the night with them (advance reservations only). Their clothing hangs from wires suspended in the middle of the room.
There’s art, too, primarily video installations that show the nymph-like Dotan engaged in various humorous or dramatic activities chronicled by Perry’s unflinching camera.
One shows her mopping up blood that seeps in, non-stop, under the front door of their Tel Aviv apartment, “like the news, constantly coming in, no matter what you do,” she explains.
Another shows her walking around Tel Aviv on Israel’s Memorial Day, wearing nothing but a large wooden box, to show how even one’s home cannot protect against the outside world. She ended that performance by walking into the sea — and nearly drowned, she says, while Perry continued filming, unaware she was trying to rip through the box with her hands to swim to safety.
Best thing? The show is sponsored by the Israeli consulate – a brilliant move in a city where Israel is so often under attack.
“Glass is transparent, it shows you what’s happening within,” said Deputy Consul General Gideon Lustig at a recent press opening, explaining that he relished the chance to show off some of his country’s cutting-edge art. “You can touch it but, at the same time, it stops you. You’re not living in the glass house, you’re on the outside looking in.”
Like Israel, right?
“The Glasshouse” will be at the Marina Abramovic Institute West at 575 Sutter St., San Francisco, until Oct. 7, when the couple returns home to their other glass house in Tel Aviv. Dotan will put on a 24-hour live performance starting at noon this Thursday.
Check out the current exhibit at http://marinaabramovicinstitute.org/glasshouse.html. For more information on the couple and their art, www.perry-dotan.com.
