The Nerve Cell

Phantom Pain is a term used to describe pain in a missing or amputated limb. It is pain in an absent part, almost like a pain  longing. The source of the pain is absent, but its “consciousness” remains alive. The exact cause of phantom pain is still a mystery, but it is likely due to changes in the nervous system, primarily in the brain and spinal cord. The brain tries to adapt to the disconnection by sending a basic signal from the nerve cell that something is wrong: pain

The exhibition includes works by five artists, which, in our view, touch on the pain of the absent, the missing; from the physical state to the visionary

Eli Petel’s series “The Golden Ratio” is a testimony to the act of cutting an A-sized sheet of paper according to the laws of the golden ratio. This action parallels Zeno’s paradox: a simple method of cutting that allows for a regular and infinite reduction in proportions. The act was carried out systematically, but with hands dipped in black ink, which created an additional pattern of irregular fingerprints. The cut pieces of the sheet are reattached and presented using traditional display methods from the world of printing and graphics

Reut Yeshayahu’s work is part of a series titled “It Comes and Goes”, inspired by the abstraction of global catastrophes. However, we found the series title to be an almost everyday expression for describing pain (it comes and goes). Additionally, in some places, there is a concept called “blue pain”—a pain that can be worked with, has the nature of a wave, and can be controlled and directed, as opposed to “red pain,” which is wild and uncontrollable

Drora Domini presents a group of sculptures resembling reassembled body systems made from building materials or their ruins. Some have an explosive quality, looking like bombs or explosions themselves. They continuously unravel and weave back together despite being stationary. Their weight is deceptive, as though they were detached from one body to be reshaped into another. The work “Stump” vividly demonstrates the detachment or amputation, with exposed iron edges seeking contact or connection

“Tel”, Tamir Chen’s work, consists of thirty-two paintings placed close together. Together, they form a sort of scarred, tactile, and dim wall. Each painting has its own singular code; subtle color nuances and different compositions. Over the course of a year, painterly gestures accumulated on the canvas, covering and burying each other. When the painting reached a high saturation point, it was buried under a dark purple layer, upon which a sketch was carved, taken from a collection of sketches that served as the linear and blotchy apparatus for the entire process

“Vibrations”, a video work by Catherine Tolkowsky, is a continuous loop simulating an exposed nervous system, where pain is revealed as a movement of life. Pain is life; it is electricity. A hidden force sends illuminated pulses through the tangle, momentarily bringing it to life or planting and sending messages. The work reminds us that the body is an electrical system, and like any electrical system, a short circuit or disconnection can unravel it

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