The Decisive Moment of the Soul / Nan Goldin and Rineke Dijkstra: Two Photographers in Focus Portfolio Magazine at the Museum

Following past success, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and Portfolio Magazine are pleased to offer visitors another lecture, hosted by Hagit Peleg Rotem and Yuval Saar, editors of Portfolio Magazine.

Currently, two major public galleries in Berlin are showcasing retrospective exhibitions of two of the most important and influential photographers in the world: American Nan Goldin and Dutch Rineke Dijkstra. Both are of the same generation, at the height of their power and global presence, yet their exhibitions are so different that they appear to exist in two parallel universes: the chaotic and dark universe of Nan Goldin, brimming with sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll, which threatens to drown the soul even in its most beautiful moments; and, in contrast, Dijkstra's compassionate, quiet, and open universe, which views all humans as holding a wondrous potential for beauty and grace.

Goldin is a brilliant artist with a unique signature, moving freely on the boundary between documentary photography and radical, revealing, pain-filled art. She documented her own sins as well as the blows she suffered, projecting her work in exhaustive sequences that are hard to look away from. Much like her boundless art, she is also an uncompromising social activist. In recent years, she led the fight against pharmaceutical empires accused of fueling the opioid addiction crisis in the United States. Since October 7th, Nan Goldin has been carrying the flag of global protest against Israel. At the opening of her exhibition in Berlin, she used her speech to warn against Islamophobia in Europe. The persecution, violence, boycotts, and exclusion of Israelis and Jews over the past year, however, went unmentioned. Perhaps her righteous anger against Israel's actions in the war reflects an attempt to seek a justice that seemingly transcends her (or our) personal and Jewish identity.

Rineke Dijkstra discovered photography by chance and became addicted. For three decades, she has traveled the world photographing people. In her youth, she visited Israel many times, capturing numerous characters and figures that fascinated her. She photographed female soldiers on base and at home, kibbutzim, Ethiopian immigrant housing, and both secular and religious schools. The central theme in her portraits is identity, and more specifically, the moments when identity takes shape: childhood, adolescence, and formative events like women before or after childbirth. Dijkstra’s photography is masterfully articulated, so much so that her work can be recognized from afar. In each photo, she manages to convey the human and sublime, the weakness and the mesmerizing strength of the gaze. Her understanding of the human soul is captivating, as it is modest and unassuming. Without engaging directly in political conflict, Dijkstra’s work reflects her choice – to give space to the human spirit, to all people, and to hope.

On the connection, similarities, and differences between them the lecture will focus.

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Note: This event is in Hebrew only.
The number of participants is limited | Advance reservations are required for all participants.
The event takes place near a secure space.

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Photo: Yuval Saar