Yehuda Bacon and Fragments of the Past

 

The life of the Israeli artist of Czech origin, Yehuda Bacon, is one of those unique and little known ones. A survivor of the Theresienstadt ghetto, the Auschwitz concentration camp and the death marches, has never lost hope in humanity, the power of artistic expression and hope. After making aliyah to Palestine, he studied at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design where he later taught and his life was filled with vibrant art practice in which he never stopped experimenting with different artistic approaches. His earliest drawings from the concentration camps even played a key role in the Eichmann trial. Yehuda Bacon's work is represented in the collections of prestigious institutions around the world.

Bacon's work unfolds through modernist exploration of form, profound personal narrative, and repeated returns to his essential themes. The artist embraces unfamiliar techniques and is absolutely sincere in his expression and optimistic approach to life. In the exhibition, you will have the opportunity to see the highlights of Yehuda Bacon's work and a diverse cross-section of his art.

The second part of the exhibition is titled "Fragments of the Past". Under this title we can imagine missing parts of reality, memories or elusiveness of time. It is almost impossible to comprehend the present, it always escapes us - the constant now doesn't exist. We always relate to what has already been and try to navigate the past.

This part of the exhibition consists of 7 contemporary artists. Each of them has a unique way of expressing themselves, yet they share the common characteristics - through working with personal mythology, creating new narratives with their own stories or found material. Crucial here is the work with the family archive, trying to grasp the flow of time and the understanding of the past.

This exhibition invites viewers to explore not only Yehuda Bacon's extraordinary legacy but also the broader, shared journey of memory and identity. Through these artworks, we are reminded that our past—both personal and collective—continues to shape and inform our present, offering new perspectives on viability and human expression.

Join us for a unique exploration of the work of Yehuda Bacon, a distinguished artist and Holocaust survivor, whose creations express a profound belief in humanity.