Ariel Schlesinger Born in Israel (1980); lives in
Berlin. Recent solo exhibitions: Herzliya Museum
of Contemporary Art (2003), Artists Workshops,
Tel Aviv (2006), Galerija Gregor Podnar, Berlin
(2008); recent group exhibitions: Israeli Center
for Digital Art, Holon (2007), Dvir Gallery, Tel
Aviv (2008), Herzliya Biennale (2007).
Viewers entering the exhibition space are surprised by two installations that make highly sculptural use of an immaterial substance – gas. The first makeshift installation is composed of bits of wood held up by grips. Magically, soap bubbles slowly detach themselves from this contraption and glide away, landing softly on an incandescent grid; each bubble in turn is transformed into a small blue flame, which explodes with a soft “boom.” Another small blue flame constantly flickers at the end of the wheel valve of a bike leaning against one of the walls. Ariel Schlesinger has created an object with a strong visual impact, which is simultaneously infused with the quality of a child’s dream.
