Marking one year since the October 7 massacre, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Nassima Landau Art Foundation have joined forces in a unique collaboration – merging visual art with classical music.
Pictures at an Exhibition, debuting Friday, October 18, at 2 p.m. at the Charles Bronfman Auditorium in Tel Aviv, offers a multisensory experience that seeks to grapple with collective memory and trauma through art and music.
Israeli and international artists have come together to create art reflecting their thoughts and emotions one year after October 7, 2023. Their works will be displayed in an exhibition at the Charles Bronfman Auditorium and projected during the season-opening concerts.
At the heart of this collaboration lies Modest Mussorgsky’s iconic musical suite, Pictures at an Exhibition, composed as a tribute to Mussorgsky’s friend, the painter Viktor Hartmann. Mussorgsky brought Hartmann’s paintings to life through music, turning visual art into sound, expressing both the imagery and the emotions it stirred within him.
This time, the process is reversed. Nine artists have drawn inspiration from Mussorgsky’s music, allowing it to guide their creations in painting, photography, and video. These works are shaped by their reflections on the events of October 7, as they explore the complexity of collective memory, trauma, and resilience.
Personal connections to the performance
The brainchild of Lahav Shani, the musical director of the Israel Philharmonic, and Steeve Nassima, the founder of the Nassima Landau Art Foundation, this project brought together top Israeli and international artists, among them Michal Rovner, Gideon Rubin, and Joel Mesler, who selected each a movement from Mussorgsky’s suite and responded with a work of art.
The works capture the spectrum of emotions, from grief, sorrow, and loss to hope, optimism, and resilience, reflecting personal and collective experiences.
Michaela Mor, one of the participating artists, lost her sister in the October 7 attacks. She brings a deeply personal perspective to the third movement, Tuileries Gardens. Her work, Above the Garden, is a vivid portrayal of fleeting joy, symbolizing the brief moments of happiness overshadowed by war.
Another work is a photograph taken by aspiring photographer Lavi Lipshitz, a young soldier who was the first to fall during the ground operation in Gaza. His parents contributed one of his final photographs to the exhibition.
During the concerts, video art showcasing the artworks will be projected in harmony with the music, creating a powerful narrative that deepens the emotional resonance of the music and the visuals.
The artwork will also be physically displayed in the concert hall’s foyer.
October 18 at 2 p.m.; October 19 at 9 p.m.; October 20 at 7 p.m.; and October 21 at 8 p.m. At the Charles Bronfman Auditorium, Tel Aviv.