The “Hotel” series by Tali Amitai-Tabib is, first of all, a tribute by the artist to two important figures of the Israeli cultural scene of the 1950s: the architect Abba Elchanani and the photographer David Serry.
Considered as one of the most important architects in Israel, Abba Elchanani (1818-2008), was commissioned to build a building in the suburb of Tel Aviv: Both a family residence and a hotel, secret couples came to be together, especially couples of men and women at a time when they were not allowed to live in broad daylight.
David Serry (1913-1981) was a photographer. He was particularly known for his portraits of anonymous people, thus taking a quasi-anthropological look at the society of his time.
When he died, his son Shlomo discovered a large collection of negatives belonging to his father. Shlomo embarks an extensive mission of conservation and archiving work and gave Tali Amitai-Tabib free access to this immense photographic treasure.
From then, Tali Amitai-Tabib wanted to give a second life, not only to these negatives but also to the history of this building and the residents who occupied it. She sees it as a metaphor of the Israeli society, full of ethnic origins plurality, social categories and morals now widely accepted.
Through the process of photo montage, she incorporated characters photographed by David Serry into the shots she took herself in this building.
Between documentary and fiction, the artist offers a very personal interpretation and continues her exploration of Israeli society, as it has been built, between challenges, paradoxes, the weight of history and a thirst of modernity.
Since 2005, we have been promoting the work of artists from different regions of the world, both emerging and confirmed. Their artistic practices touch on painting, photography, sculpture, design as well as electronic arts. We are committed to developing for them a platform for demonstrating and visibility in our spaces in Paris and Miami as well as at several international contemporary art fairs. Meetings and dialogue are at the heart of our mission. An artist residency in Miami, set up in 2019, is part of this desire to encourage exchanges and support contemporary creation.
The gallery is a member of Comité Professionnel des Galeries d’Art (France) and the Miami Art Dealers Association (USA)