ArtFocus 5 | Archive » Rona Yefman

66 65 64 64 63 62 60 58 57 57 56 55 55 55 54 53 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 44 42 41 40 39 39 38 37 20 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 28 29 26 27 25 24 22 23 66 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 66 65 64 64 63 62 60 58 57 57 56 55 55 55 54 53 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 44 42 41 40 39 39 38 37 20 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 28 29 26 27 25 24 22 23 66 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 66 65 64 64 63 62 60 58 57 57 56 55 55 55 54 53 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 44 42 41 40 39 39 38 37 20 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 28 29 26 27 25 24 22 23 66 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 66 65 64 64 63 62 60 58 57 57 56 55 55 55 54 53 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 44 42 41 40 39 39 38 37 20 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 28 29 26 27 25 24 22 23 66 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 66 65 64 64 63 62 60 58 57 57 56 55 55 55 54 53 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 44 42 41 40 39 39 38 37 20 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 28 29 26 27 25 24 22 23 66 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 66 65 64 64 63 62 60 58 57 57 56 55 55 55 54 53 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 44 42 41 40 39 39 38 37 20 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 28 29 26 27 25 24 22 23 66 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 66 65 64 64 63 62 60 58 57 57 56 55 55 55 54 53 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 44 42 41 40 39 39 38 37 20 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 28 29 26 27 25 24 22 23 66 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 66 65 64 64 63 62 60 58 57 57 56 55 55 55 54 53 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 44 42 41 40 39 39 38 37 20 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 28 29 26 27 25 24 22 23 66 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 66 65 64 64 63 62 60 58 57 57 56 55 55 55 54 53 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 44 42 41 40 39 39 38 37 20 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 28 29 26 27 25 24 22 23 66 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 66 65 64 64 63 62 60 58 57 57 56 55 55 55 54 53 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 44 42 41 40 39 39 38 37 20 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 28 29 26 27 25 24 22 23 66 20 20 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

55

Rona Yefman // Pippi Longstocking, the Strongest Girl in the World, at Abu-Dis

rona-good-image

Rona Yefman Born in Israel, 1972; lives in New York. Recent solo exhibitions: Haifa Museum of Art (2001), Sommer Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv (2006); recent group exhibitions: Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art (2005), Christian Ehrentraut Gallery, Berlin (2005), MARCO Vigo, Spain (2006).

Rona Yefman searches in her work for situations and people that embody the power of freedom – heroes who live in reality yet dream of changing the world. Ever since childhood, Yefman’s alter ego has been Pippi Longstocking – a rebellious girl known for her supernatural strength and red pigtails, who is constantly questioning the existing order of things. The author of this classic children’s story, Astrid Lindgren, made it up for her own daughter during World War II, in order to present her with a positive heroine that would stand out in contrast to the surrounding forces of evil. In Yefman’s film, Pippi – who is now a young woman – is played by Danish performance and voice artist Tanja Schlander, who experiences the world as noise. Her Pippi, who does not believe in artificial borders, attempts to move the massive concrete wall separating Israel from the West Bank, yet is unable to do so: its political context, after all, is too weighty for one person.

Roderick Buchanan

Jennfer Allora & Guillermo Calzadilla