Controversial Exhibition in Tel Aviv

A new exhibition of globes on the streets of Tel Aviv is causing some debate. I walk by them every day, and I also have an opinion.

This post is dedicated to Ingrid, that urged me to share some local issues in English, and I enjoy it very much.
There are more pictures of the Globes Exhibition in Tel Aviv.

Each globe in the exhibition was funded and influenced by a different company. 100 globes in Rothschild avenue represent the leading 100 companies in Israel. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) is behind the event, which will last till November 5th.

On one hand: Commercial companies that sponsor art is problematic. The artist isn’t free to fully express himself, since he must obey the company that funds his work. A artist with his muse dictated by a corporation can’t do whatever he wants.

It’s funny seeing a green, environment-friendly globe and finding out that it was funded by chemical plant that damages our air and our ground. I’m not sure that the artist had the absolute freedom in this work…

An extreme example of corporate art is the globe funded by a big cellular operator in Israel. It’s logo, a purple star, appears all over it’s globe. This straightforward branding is ugly, and serves as a free commercial in the middle of our public space.

On the other hand: Except this cellular company, the other globes don’t expose the brand. You have to lean down towards the small sign on the bottom of the globe in order to read which company funded it.

So, maybe the artist isn’t totally free (like the chemical plant’s green globe), but almost all the globes are live commercials.

In addition, art always had it’s patrons (i.e. the Medici family in Italy). Not many artists can create these works and get them presented without funding. It’s especially hard for young artists, and in a small country like Israel.

And, it’s a nice refreshment for the avenue. The illuminated globes make the street more interesting. And hey, they’re only here for 6 weeks. These corporations didn’t conquer the public space for a long time.

So, except the branded globes, I mostly see the positive side of this exhibition.

Update: One of the globes was burned down. Pictures of the globe, which was totally destroyed, are with the other pictures. An example is here: