Love You Yet Realistic - Beita

Love You Yet Realistic Curator: Karni Barzilay

Artist: Roy Cohen
2.6-17.7.2020

Roy Cohen’s solo exhibition Love You Yet Realistic expands his ongoing exploration of identities and cultural complexity in Israeli society. Under the definition of “Israeli” we find sub-categories, identities, and communities: Jewish, Arab, Mizrahi, Ashkenazi, Israeli-Arab etc. In his works, Cohen looks at the current social order through the lens of these familiar categories, which summon extensions and divisions, as he examines the elements and forces that engender a sense of communal belonging and tries to trace the characteristics of group cohesion.
The exhibition features videos and manipulated objects that incorporate movement and sound. Its title alludes to Cohen's bitter-sweet approach to the discourse surrounding identity and immigration in light of a national narrative rife with violence. The fragile works shift between dream and utopia to current reality and are characterized by a humoristic and playful attitude while also touching on violence and pain.