Artists: Dina Shenhav, Shira Zelwer, Vered Aharonovitch, Ayelet Carmi, Einat Arif-Galanti & Yaala Getzov.

The main distinction between 'nature' and 'culture' in Western thought also concerns, among other things, the dispute regarding the definition of the essence of man and the shaping of his personality. One perception views man as a product of nature, and in accordance, views his development, identity, and personality as influenced mainly by his biology and genetics. Another perception emphasizes the dominant roles of environment and culture in the formation of a person. This exhibition questions the authenticity of what is mostly defined as 'natural’ as opposed to the cultural constructions that formulate characteristics of identity. The exhibition name, 'The Nature of Things', embodies a presumption that things have a monolithic a priori solid nature that can be seen as an axiom. The undisputed status of the 'natural' is examined here from a skeptical standpoint.
 

The botanical garden where the exhibition is held suggests an act of 'encapsulating' nature in a way that invites discussion and thought about the popular dichotomous distinction between the natural and the artificial while blurring their accepted boundaries. On the one hand, it presents 'natural' vegetation in its common sense. On the other hand, it can be defined as having an artificial nature; it is selected, collected, transported from afar, sorted, and categorically displayed as a collection of plants being strictly groomed daily.
The exhibition sharpens the question of nature's authenticity, shaken already by forming the garden as a research garden, and it presents it only through its images.
 
Various and diverse artistic techniques are used here to present symbolic instantiations related to the garden's concepts lexicon. They stretch into the realms of fantasy: A sensual iridescent field of flowers made of a synthetic collage (Ye’ela Getsov); a pool of black water with emerging plastic flowers (Dina Shenhav); paper bird wings (Eilat Karmi); and a young fiberglass visitor (Vered Aharonovitz) are presented next to bouquets made of wax (Shira Zelver), of plastic and garbage (Einat Arif-Galanti), and offer the garden’s visitors a dreaming realm.
 
The Greek philosopher Plato argued that art is dangerous, as it presents a false image, pretending to be the thing itself. By doing so, it not only distances itself from the 'true' idyllic essence of things, he claims, but it also sabotages moral values, leading them astray. The argument here is on the contrary: as I see it, the image or the metaphor takes part in the cultural discourse that identifies itself openly as a region for thinking about things from a distance, precisely because of their defamiliarization. In fact, in this sense, the artistic imagery allows observation, a renewed intimate closeness to the being of things, to the world.
 

Gallery opening hours - Winter
Sunday: 10:00 - 13:00 Monday - Thursday: 10:00 - 15:00
Friday: 9:00 - 14:00 Saturday: 9:00 - 15:00
Gallery opening hours - Spring Summer
Sunday: 10:00 - 15:00 Monday - Thursday: 10:00 - 17:00
Friday: 9:00 - 14:00 Saturday: 9:00 - 15:00
Entrance to the opening of the exhibition is free
The visit to the exhibition is included in the admission price,
it should be noted that you have come to visit the exhibition.
Events during the exhibition
will be published on the garden's Facebook page as well as on the botanical garden's website.

 
Entrance fee : adult/child 40 NIS Jerusalem card holders: 28 NIS Soldier / student / pensioner: 25 nis
*Entrance is free for Jerusalem children up to the age of 18 upon presentation of an ID card or accompanied by one of their parents
1 Zalman Shnior St. Jerusalem for more details: 02-6794012
on the website  www.botanic.co.il and Facebook page

זלמן שניאור 1 ירושלים