In this groundbreaking book, Muhammad Jabali takes us on an intricate and non-linear journey through the history of Israeli art. He delves into its major movements, significant transformations, and the prominent exhibitions and diverse schools that have left their mark on Israeli art over various eras. Along this journey, Jabali meticulously deconstructs the narratives of these art movements, exposing their distortions and challenging the false portrayals of resistance and idealism.

Throughout the chapters, the author grapples with a fundamental question: What characterizes contemporary Israeli art, and how does the current Israeli art scene construct its own historical narrative? Jabali's examination explores the aesthetic and sensory mechanisms employed by the art field to reflect upon Israeli society, Jews worldwide, the land of Palestine, and the Palestinian people.

The book is complemented by an extensive photo appendix accessible via QR codes, providing readers with a visual journey that reveals the underlying contradictions inherent in the formation of a modern art field within a colonial settler context. Jabali critically addresses the present moment and the political circumstances that shape and influence Israeli art.

About the Author

Muhammad Jabali is an artist, writer, researcher, DJ, and educator at the Faculty of Art and Design at Bezalel College in Jerusalem.