“if we opened people up, we’d find landscapes”
Gabi Yair Studio, Tel Aviv 2024
In her exhibition Spitz explores the combination between the physical and the mental, between the external and the internal, and invites the viewer to stay next to landscapes not always seen but felt - landscapes of the soul. The different substrates, from fabrics to rusty metal plates, are used as spaces where the creative processes take place. The connection between the different techniques indicates the idea of multidimensionality and allows the viewer to feel the complexity of the process. The placement of the objects was done with attention but also with the recognition that it is accidental and not binding, just like An event of nature, which leaves an accidental but necessary mark in the circumstances of time and place, thus allowing for personal interpretations contingency. The sense of coincidence in the exhibition allows for a topical reflection on the circumstances in which things happen and remain an imprint of a "natural event" that feels both chaotic and inevitable in the circumstances of the time and place.
Unveiling Human Echoes Under The Sea
UAE-Ras Al Khaimah 2024
Ophira Spitz's installation artistically tells the story of Al Jazeera Al Hamra heritage village, once a pearl fishing communityDelicate tulle fabrics, interwoven with pearls, beckon you to unravel the hidden treasures of this bygone era. Pearls, both seen and concealed, offer a poignant glimpse into its faded glory and the enduring spirit of its people. This installation invites you to reflect on the cyclical nature of history and the potential for renewal.
Fracture
Janco Dada Museum, Ein Hod 2023
"Fracture" was created in 2023 against the backdrop of Israeli reality, teetering on the brink of crisis, and sheds light on the phenomenon of social and political disruption within a global ecological context. The work is presented as an installation triptych, aiming to connect symbolic images to both external and internal occurrences.
In images inspired by nature, the environment, and topography, Spitz merges and combines loose edges through material connections with free, amorphous forms. These creations span a range of processes, from labor-intensive craftsmanship to automatism.
Rujum
The White Gallery, Hazor Ashdod 2023
Large stones are arranged in a circle, while others are piled like a column, signaling a presence—perhaps someone once stood here, marking this spot with their footsteps, or maybe this is where their loved ones are buried. It serves as a testament to their existence for those who come after. Perhaps it also represents a boundary: “From here, follow my path” or “Up to this point.” The rocks, laid in a structured order, bear numerous marks, stains, and faint drawings that invite interpretation. Are there stems intertwined with them? Are the markings secret maps? Have you left a trace? Ophira discusses mapping as an action rich with meaning. Even modern atlases no longer provide reliable information about a country; they often fail to reflect reality. The lines on a map can either lead to a specific direction or define identities, creating separations between different essences—this is how borders function.
Sculpturing Her Life
The Lab, Tel Aviv 2022
Between sentimental reminiscence and existential thoughts, Ophira Spitz's artistic path is reflected In two adjacent locations on Herzl Street, Tel Aviv:The Lab, Tel Aviv and the fashion designer studio of Sasson Kedem. Ophira highlights the transition between the two spaces with a site-specific red cloth work that both merges in and interrupts the urban landscape.Fabrics, layered paintings in a microscopic-like abstraction, old furniture, a video work by Ophira as a documentation of the process, red fabric balls of varying sizes made in a Sisyphean effort, the binding of the space with strips of fabric, and a sound work by Nir Younessi all contribute to the installation's nostalgic mystical aura.The installation was conceived in collaboration with the fashion designer Sasson Kedem and the curator Sharon Toval.
On the edge of the Anthropocene
Group Exhibition, Minshar Art Gallery, Tel Aviv 2022
The art installation titled Anthropocene visually captures the essence of the current geological epoch, in which human activity profoundly impacts the Earth's ecosystems and geology. The suspended rock-like objects, covered in green, blue, and brown textures, evoke a planetary or geological theme, symbolizing the Earth and its landscapes. These objects, tethered by multicolored strings crisscrossing the room, may represent the delicate and interconnected balance of natural systems that are now heavily influenced by human intervention.
Graduation Ball
Fresh Paint Art Fair Satellite Exhibition project, Beit Tami, Tel Aviv. 2019
Although maps appear to offer a "correct" and scientific description of the world, it's important to remember that they are shaped by culture and represent an interpretation of reality, much like a painting that subjectively portrays the world. Before the Internet became the central repository of knowledge, we explored and were captivated by the world through the pages of atlases. However, with the advent of technological and digital innovations, atlases have become somewhat redundant and irrelevant. In this large scale installation, Spitz collects these atlases, disassembling maps, countries, and cities, and reassembling them into amorphous, impossible landscapes and shifting horizons—symbols of inner and personal mental spaces.