How do you reassemble a house that has fallen apart? How can a crumbling reality give rise to something new? In Tamar Sheaffer’s work, the disintegration is not as chaotic as in reality. It appears almost surgical, shaped by subtle discernment and attentive observation of Israeli reality, which in recent years has become a volatile weave of upheaval and islands of quiet to which we long to escape. Whether facing a pandemic, demonstrations or riots, a military operation or full-scale war, we seek refuge — a safe physical shelter that provides not only protection, but also a measure of comfort, solace, and belonging.
The exhibition’s building blocks — flip-flops, "rubber ducks, " plates, a fan, a lamp, a faucet, a carpet — invite the viewer, wandering among the installation’s "cubes, " into a space for discovery and playfulness. They leave room for observation, reflection, and identification, where one can trace the unfolding link between an object and a tangible memory, thereby establishing a renewed sense of identity. Sheaffer’s installation is a local, contemporary Israeli work of art, touching on vulnerability, resilience, and coping, summoning an experience that oscillates between distance and belonging — something we all so deeply crave today.
