The Global Art Gallery at 13 Baaley Melacha Street, Tel Aviv, has been hosting an exhibition showcasing works by Koren Herszkowicz—an artist, builder, architect, and visionary whose style and creative output are distinctly unique. The gallery space resembles a wing of the Louvre’s antiquities section, housing ancient, archaic works that seem to have emerged from the empires of Assyria and Babylon or straight from the pages of Chariots of the Gods. Yet these pieces were created in the artist’s studio -a space of solitary reflection where his curiosity and reverence for ancient civilizations converge. The exhibition explores the worlds those civilizations created, the enigmatic messages they conveyed, and how they connect to the existential uncertainty of our own time.
Koren’s fascination with the ancient world was nurtured from an early age. His father, an engineer and an enthusiast of archaeology and history, told him stories about the ancient world and its magical allure. These stories were absorbed into the young artist’s mind, growing into a boundless curiosity. The mystery surrounding these ancient phenomena captivated him permanently. Where knowledge was lacking, imagination filled the gaps—completing archetypal imagery and creating parallels to contemporary experiences.
The works hint at an anthropomorphizing of imagery and illustrations borrowed from gravestones, pyramid walls, and monuments—repositioned by the artist’s hand. The works echo the ancient past while subtly engaging with the present, asking viewers rhetorical questions about their meaning in a contemporary reality that remains elusive. In an age when bots dominate everyday discourse, the question of reality’s grip takes on a new level of uncertainty—a twin to the ancient mysteries reflected in the works, challenging both thought and perception.
Much of the work remains hidden beneath the surface—the underlying material forms the foundation for the images drawn upon it, prepared by the artist as a kind of hidden subconscious. This “concealment” mirrors our own lack of awareness of the layers beneath our feet and the reasons for our existence. The artist’s desire to decipher and understand life’s complexities is reflected in works that resemble an escape room map—full of clues but without a key. The key, the works suggest, isn’t in the art itself but within the viewer.
In the final painting displayed below, surfaces of opposing directions convey both conflict and reconciliation, achieving an inevitable balance. The exhibition brings the mystery of existence, as experienced by the artist, to its climax—a mystery he attempts to map, reconstruct, and envision. The outcome of this search becomes an artistic expression parallel to poetry and fiction, where uncovering the mystery is part of the inevitable journey for any seeker of knowledge. The result, presented in this exhibition, is a testament both visually striking and emotionally stirring.
Exhibition Curators: Michali Adler and Dr. Galia Duchin Arieli
PR: Michal Sadan
Interviewed Witten and Edited: Yoel Emet – Member of the Academic Sector Association of Journalists
© All Rights Reserved