The exhibitions at <a href="/attraction/the-israel-museum" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Israel Museum</a> are temporary and one-off exhibitions that are shown seasonally, and you should not miss them. Here we have collected the most recommended exhibitions for you:

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Unique Temporary Exhibitions at the Israel Museum

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Unique Temporary Exhibitions at the Israel Museum | en

What is it that we actually see when we look at Thomas Demand’s photographs? Demand, born in Munich in 1964, has spent almost three decades exploring the intersections of history, images, and architectural forms. In his large-scale photographic objects, history presents itself as banal, gnawingly disturbing facsimiles of places and episodes that we cannot quite identify. While his images may appear to depict the real world, upon closer inspection they resonate with a fragile similitude as these are in fact photographs of impermanent sculptural recreations. Demand selects images from the media, recreates them as life-size models using paper and cardboard, and then photographs them. The key to his work is understanding this feedback loop: from the actual events, through their photographic record in the media, to Demand’s sculptural recreations and his uncanny para-photographic versions that are launched back into the world.Before completing his MFA at Goldsmiths College, Demand studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf with sculptor Fritz Schwegler, who encouraged him to explore the expressive possibilities of models. He originally took up photography as a way to document his ephemeral paper reconstructions of everyday objects but quickly began making these constructions for the sole purpose of photographing them. This became the basis of his artistic practice. After photographing his models, he destroys them, leaving behind only their ghostly photographic doubles. The stutter of history lies in that strange gap between the world we inhabit and the recreated world of paper and cardboard the artist conjures in his studio.Thomas Demand: The Stutter of History presents a career-wide survey of four important areas of Demand’s work. His “Uncanny Histories” are large-scale photographs of anonymous yet historically significant scenarios. His smaller-scale “Dailies” are constructed from images taken with his phone that investigate the mysteries of everyday life. Demand’s fascination with architectonic forms is evident in his “Model Studies,” which document paper maquettes created by architects and dress patterns cut by fashion designers, and in his use of wallpapers of his own design. Finally, his commitment to the moving image comes to the fore in two mesmerizing explorations of stop-motion filmmaking.Thomas Demand has also conceived the design for the exhibition, as an integral part of his approach to artistic production. With his architectural use of wallpapers and temporary structures, he creates an immersive environment for the viewer in which image and world collide.The exhibition has been co-organized by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Minneapolis/Paris/Lausanne, and UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing/Shanghai in association with The Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

Thomas Demand: The Stutter of History - An Exhibition at the Israel Museum

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A special exhibition that presents a comprehensive overview of Thomas Demand's artistic work in special photographs made by him.

An exhibition about historical places and events.

<ul><li>Hagit Gallery, Edmond and Lily Safra Fine Arts Wing From 20.1.23</li></ul>Half a century has passed since the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War on October 6, 1973. The anxiety that arose at noontime on the day of fasting grew stronger on the front lines and at home as the hours struck, and to this day the war is etched in Israeli consciousness as a critical juncture, a personal and national trauma.The exhibition presents the impressions of four men who took part in the war – David Tartakover and Eli Mohar, who were called up for reserve duty; and Rino Zror and Rami Halperin, who joined the forces voluntarily and documented what they saw for the magazine HaOlam HaZeh, where they worked. On display are previously unexhibited drawings by David Tartakover - then a young artist - and photographs by Rami Halperin, a news photographer killed in the war. Alongside these are journalistic reports by Rino Zror and personal impressions by Eli Mohar; in word and image, these works trace the contours of the war. Together, they create a platform for an informal dialogue inviting viewers to contemplate the moments of turmoil and the hours of tense quiet, posing questions about the relations between documentation and memory, journalism and art, and between 1973 and 2023.

October Sun: Four Voices from the Yom Kippur War at the Israel Museum

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Visit a special and exciting exhibition that presents the records of men who participated in one of the most difficult wars we remember - the Yom Kippur War.

A special historical exhibition

The vast, deep, blue expanse of the sea has drawn human attention since time immemorial. Since we are unable to live beneath the waves, and, even today, find it difficult to study the depths of the sea, we imagine what goes on there with some trepidation and with a great deal of curiosity.In ancient times, seamen believed that gods caused the storms at sea and could also calm them. Octopi, seals, and whales excited the imagination, leading to fantasies of other wondrous sea creatures, whether colossal and monstrous or magical and lovely. Legends about mermaids, treasures hidden aboard shipwrecks lost at sea, and submerged cities delighted writers, artists, designers, and cinematographers, whose works mixed fact and fiction.The phenomenon of global warming, of much concern in recent years, affects the sea as well (whose waters cover three-fourths of the Earth’s territory). The sea also suffers from direct human activity, which endangers many of the creatures living in it. The immense importance of this natural resource obliges us to make every effort to protect it.In Wonders of the Deep, you’ll find real creatures and treasures found at the bottom of the sea, alongside the imaginary creations of artists from Israel and abroad, and you’ll learn about some of the efforts being made to protect the sea and the world living beneath it.Come and dive in!

Discover "Wonders of the Deep" at the Israel Museum

איור: אורית ברגמן, באדיבות מוזיאון ישראל

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The vast, deep, blue expanse of the sea has drawn human attention since time immemorial. Since we are unable to live beneath the waves, and, even today, find it difficult to study the depths of the sea, we imagine what goes on there with some trepidation and with a great deal of curiosity.

A variety of activities in one ticket!

<ul><li>Bella and Harry Wexner Gallery</li></ul>The exhibition explores banquets, feasts, and food in the Ancient Near East in the 4th-1st millennium BCE, presenting them as the ideal setting for the negotiation of ideologies, and as a symbol of political and social status. Such festive events were employed by religious and royal institutions as a means to establish and reaffirm their political power, and consolidate the prevailing ideology. Elements of the feast, such as the sending of invitations, the financing of the event, the presentation of gifts, and aspects of inclusion and exclusion, which may at first appear trivial, are revealed in this exhibition to be potent tools in the hands of the initiators and organizers of the event.This exhibition showcases selected archaeological artifacts, iconographic representations, organic materials, and textual evidence, from the Land of Israel and neighboring cultures, primarily from the Israel Museum’s own rich holdings. Through a lavish display of artifacts, The Feast highlights the social mechanisms that surrounded the communal consumption of food, offering visitors a sense of the motivations at play around the table in antiquity, and their reflection in contemporary culture.

The Feast: Discover Archaeological Treasures at the Israel Museum

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Visit a special exhibition that presents rare archaeological findings from the 4th millennium to the 4th century BC to the 4th century BC.

Discover special archaeological treasures

The exhibition "Common Ground" dissolves the barrier between archaeology and fine arts, as recent Museum acquisitions of Israeli art are interwoven with ancient artifacts from the collection – most displayed for the first time.The exhibition presents archaeological finds spanning millennia, in materials such as stone, pottery, wood, and metal, alongside contemporary drawings, sculptures, video works, photographs, and installation art. All of these explore age-old subjects like mortality, the strengths and weaknesses of the human body, relationships between people, and belief in transcendent forces. What joins them together is a shared visual or material language. An invisible thread seems to lead from one work to the next, bridging the millennia and revealing a wealth of links and associations.In the exhibition, ancient objects of archaeology complement and enrich our understanding of recent artworks. Sparking surprising connections, the creativity of the distant past and immediate present meet on common ground to inspire us with faith in the human spirit. &nbsp;Artists: Ron Amir, Maya Attoun, Ilit Azoulay, Michal BarOr, Hilla Ben Ari, Deganit Berest, Miriam Cabessa, Ayelet Carmi, Chen Cohen, Gilad Efrat, Maayan Elyakim, Assaf Evron, Hamutal Fishman, Efrat Hakimi, Meirav Heiman, Menashe Kadishman, Miki Kratsman, Shai Kremer, Sigalit Landau, Netta Lieber Sheffer, Maria Saleh Mahameed, Ruth Patir, Hillel Roman, Elham Rokni, Karen Russo, Avi Sabah, Merav Salomon, Netally Schlosser, Etty Schwartz, Orit Siman-Tov, Micha Ullman, Amon Yariv, Addam Yekutieli (Know Hope), Noa Yekutieli

Common Ground: A New Exhibition at the Israel Museum

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Over the years, many artists have sought to understand the present by deciphering the past, incorporating or addressing ancient culture in their work in diverse ways.

Israeli Art Meets Archaeology


A rare bronze statue of the second-century Roman Emperor Hadrian, today part of the Museum's permanent exhibition, was cast in antiquity using the lost-wax technique, in which beeswax was employed when creating the model for the bronze portrait. This ancient method is echoed in the fascinating work of prominent Slovakian-born artist-designer Tomáš Libertíny, who creates wax sculptures with the help of honeybees. Libertíny sees himself as a conductor of a natural orchestra represented by bees. The artist steps away from the work’s production, allowing contemporary design and technology to combine with the collective intelligence of a bee colony. In conversations between the curators of design and archaeology, the two realized that Libertíny’s expertise could be used to recreate the ancient lost wax version of Hadrian's statue.With the professional help of beekeeper Rafi Nir, Libertíny and the curators placed beehives in the Museum’s Art Garden. Inside were 3D-printed mesh models of the statue; internal cameras followed 100,000 bees while they built honeycombs on Hadrian's head. The reconstructed portrait affords a fresh look at a singular exhibit in the Museum’s archaeological display.Hadrian’s honeycomb sculpture connects layers of historical knowledge with the Museum’s contemporary role, preserving the past while engaging with present-day social and environmental issues. The project promotes an eco-centric approach, not only as an ideology; in the Museum’s Art Garden, the beehives have become part of the landscape, a means of cultivating nature in an urban environment.

Crafted by Bees: A Breathtaking Exhibition at the Israel Museum

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Design and archaeology are two fields usually seen as unconnected. However, they share an interest in technology – and it was against this background that a unique project at the Israel Museum came into being.

Statues made from bee's wax

Each displayed work from the Museum’s collections was created from the artist’s specific personal context yet also carries a universal and symbolic meaning. Presented together, they offer viewers a contemplative space to experience their private sorrow in these dark times.The exhibition includes major works by Christian Boltanski, Joshua (Shuky) Borkovsky, Hans-Peter Feldmann, Anya Gallaccio, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Douglas Gordon, Talia Keinan, Jonathan Monk, Melik Ohanian, Yehudit Sasportas, Dina Shenhav and Gal Weinstein.

The Dawn of Darkness: A New Exhibition at the Israel Museum

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Profound, poetic reflections of elegy are found in the work of many contemporary artists – expressions of loss and grief; poignant memories of family, friends, home, and landscape; and the absence of what was and is no longer.

Poetic reflections of elegy

Experience a groundbreaking museum exhibition dedicated entirely to artworks where sound serves as the primary creative foundation. Hosted at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.itraveljerusalem.com/attraction/the-israel-museum">the Israel Museum</a> for the very first time, this unique showcase invites visitors to dive into the profound relationship between audio and visual art.Drawing deep inspiration from John Cage's revolutionary composition "4'33", the exhibition reexamines the traditional boundaries and meanings attached to visual images, music, and ambient noise. The display features a diverse curation of pieces from the permanent museum collections, exclusive international loans, and original site specific installations crafted by prominent contemporary Israeli artists.The featured lineup of participating artists includes: John Cage, David Behar-Perahia, George Brecht, Raya Bruckental, Hannah Collins, Meital Covo, Belu-Simion Fainaru, Fluxus Artists, Niv Gafni, Guy Goldstein, Victoria Hanna, Hans Jenny, Joe Jones, Wassily Kandinsky, Idris Khan, George Maciunas, Itamar Mendes Flohr, Joshua Neustein, OFFBiT Collective, Irving Penn, Francis Picabia, Anat Propper Goldenberg, Man Ray, Ugo Rondinone, Uri Weinstein, Yasuhiro Yoshioka, Samson Young, Dor Zlekha Levy, Eran Zacks, and Yifat Ziv &amp; Daniel Meir.

Overtones: Sound and Art

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A unique exhibition at the Israel Museum.

A unique exhibition at the Israel Museum.ddd

This landmark exhibition at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.itraveljerusalem.com/attraction/the-israel-museum">the Israel Museum</a> explores six centuries of printmaking, tracing the rich history of the medium and its profound impact on the broader art world. Initially utilized merely to reproduce and distribute existing images, printmaking drastically increased public access to visual culture. However, prints rapidly evolved into a highly respected, independent art form. Offering an affordable method of mass communication alongside high quality pieces for art collectors, printmaking gave creators the freedom to experiment with complex narratives and forms. Ultimately, the medium took center stage, effectively becoming the message itself.The Evolution of Printmaking Through the MastersThe exhibition highlights legendary artists who defined the trajectory of printmaking across different eras:<ul><li>The Renaissance and the 17th Century: Albrecht Dürer merged psychological depth with technical brilliance in his engravings, while Rembrandt elevated etchings to an emotional complexity that rivaled traditional oil painting.</li><li>The 18th and 19th Centuries: Francisco Goya expanded the expressive power of etchings through his experiments with aquatint. The subsequent invention of lithography offered a faster and more fluid technique. Honoré Daumier utilized it for biting social satire, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec used it to capture the vibrant energy of modern Paris.</li><li>The 20th Century: Printmaking became a primary tool for cultural and sociopolitical critique. Edvard Munch and Pablo Picasso utilized various techniques to explore themes ranging from the human psyche to classical mythology. Meanwhile, German Expressionists embraced the raw aesthetic of woodcuts to convey existential dread and political dissent.</li></ul>Pop Art, Monumental Prints, and Modern RepresentationFollowing World War II, particularly during the 1960s, the medium underwent a radical reinvention. The Pop Art movement embraced consumer culture, with Andy Warhol utilizing revolutionary screenprinting techniques to create serial reproductions of iconic contemporary images. This approach dismantled the barriers between high art and popular culture, challenging traditional concepts of artistic value and originality. Furthermore, prints began taking on monumental sizes, offering immersive spatial experiences that maximized the expressive reach of the medium.The exhibition also sheds light on poignant explorations of gender and the human body. Prominent female printmakers, including Louise Bourgeois and Kiki Smith, are featured for their deep investigations into physical identity and the politics of representation.Celebrating 60 Years of the Israel MuseumToday, printmaking remains a vibrant platform for cultural storytelling and personal creativity. Launched in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Israel Museum, The Medium and the Message features over 200 extraordinary works from the permanent collection. This comprehensive showcase reaffirms the enduring relevance of printmaking and its unique ability to shape, reflect, and critique the artistic shifts of its era.

The Medium and the Message

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Six Centuries of Printmaking at the Israel Museum.

For the very first time, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.itraveljerusalem.com/attraction/the-israel-museum">the Israel Museum</a> proudly presents a comprehensive exhibition exploring the remarkable oeuvre of Pesach Ir-Shay, a pioneering Hungarian-Jewish multidisciplinary artist and international graphic designer. Born as István Irsai in Budapest in 1896, his creative journey took him to Tel Aviv in the 1920s before he returned to Hungary, becoming a leading modernist designer prior to World War II. After surviving the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Ir-Shay and his family immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1945. Until his passing in 1968, he cemented his legacy as a founding father of modern graphic design in Israel, leaving behind an innovative, prolific, and deeply resonant body of work.The Psychology of Advertising and Modern Typography In the modern era, applied graphic design and advertising emerged as defining pillars of society and commerce. Raised in a cosmopolitan, progressive environment and heavily influenced by Freudian psychoanalysis, Ir-Shay believed that effective advertising must ignite emotion rather than merely display a product. As he eloquently stated, "People do not long for a stove, but for warmth."To capture this desire, he mastered the art of visual storytelling. By seamlessly blending movement, tension, and color with concise messaging, he guided the viewer's eye with precision. The written word, both in its meaning and typographic form, was central to his vision. Ir-Shay crafted clean, modernist Hebrew typefaces, stripping away decorative elements to create elegant and highly functional posters. This profound respect for text, in both Hebrew and foreign languages, beautifully echoed the centrality of the written word in Jewish tradition.A Multidisciplinary Master of the 20th Century The exhibition showcases a groundbreaking avant-garde artist whose talents knew no bounds, spanning graphic design, architecture, printing, stage design, and even music. Ir-Shay approached every creative challenge as an opportunity to build a bridge between the modernist spirit and classical Jewish tradition. Crucially, he utilized his design prowess not only for commercial success but also to advance meaningful social causes.This captivating showcase was made possible by the generous donation of the artist's work to the Museum by renowned designer and collector David Tartakover. We also extend our deepest gratitude to the artist's daughter, Miryam Ir-Shay, for loaning a remarkable selection of pieces from his artistic estate.

A Creative Type Exhibition

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Design, Tradition, and the Avant-Garde: The Pesach Ir-Shay Retrospective at the Israel Museum.

Pesach Ir-Shay Retrospective at the Israel Museum.

A visit to the Israel Museum is the perfect cultural pastime thanks to the unique and fascinating exhibitions that are presented during the opening hours of the museum.

Unique Temporary Exhibitions at the Israel Museum

A Creative Type Exhibition

The Medium and the Message

Overtones: Sound and Art

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