Category: Tel Aviv

Free Hugs Anniversary

The Free Hugs movement / campaign / initiative / whatever celebrated it’s one year anniversary. A small street party was thrown in Rabin Square.

Free Hugs Anniversary

More Free Hugs Pictures.

I got to know the Israeli huggers from the very beginning. I randomly met on the street, took some pictures and posted them. They wanted my pictures, contacted me, and invited me to join their next session.

They offer free hugs every Tuesday afternoon, and I began joining them, later becoming friends with some of them. In the past months, I’ve rarely gone there. The media made a big story, and many people doubted that they’ll prevail. But since October 2006, they’re on the street every week. Additionally, more hugging groups have sprung across the country.

The celebration, this Tuesday, contained mostly mingling, and not too much hugging of strangers. It was fun meeting all the “generations” of huggers. Some of them are deep into “New Age” culture, and some are just “normal” people.

There were special guests from Italy: Luca and Giordano. They are traveling from Italy, overland, across Europe and the Middle East. We all asked them how was Syria for them. The answer was disappointing: They told us that as soon as they appeared on the streets with the Free Hugs signs, the police approached them, fearing that they were starting some demonstrations or public disorder of any kind. So, they didn’t do much hugging over there.

So, this anniversary was fun. The huggers’ dedication, much after Juan Mann’s buzz, is very impressing.

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.

Globes in Tel Aviv

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…

Green World

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:
Burned Globe

Tel Aviv Mon Amour

This event symbolizes what I like in Tel Aviv: 2:00 AM, a live jazz-funk improvised jam session in the middle of the street. It was organized solely by the musicians that played. No coordination with the municipality or anyone else. They just plugged in to some electricity began playing, and people crowded up:

Tel Aviv Live Music

And another picture to show the vitality of Tel Aviv:

Live music in the streets

French Invasion of Tel Aviv

This summer has seen lots of tourists in Tel Aviv. The vast majority of these tourists were French. Tourists are always welcome, but all this French music in bars and restaurants is sometimes too much.

I’m used to hearing foreign languages around my house. There’s a fine Italian restaurant under my house. Many European tourists and businessmen dine their every day. I enjoy hearing occasionally some Italian, Spanish, German, French and English of course. I usually slow down and try to overhear the language that they’re speaking.

Tourists can also be seen around Tel Aviv’s promenade. Many of the city’s hotels and hostels are located near the sea, and most of tourists enjoy the sea and the sunshine.

This summer, and especially in August, there’s a feeling that there is a larger amount of tourists around. In past years I’ve heard mostly English (Americans). This year, French is spoken everywhere. Unfortunately, I don’t speak French. I only understand a few simple words.

There are so many French tourists, that some places, not those that are near the sea, adapt themselves to tourists. I was quite surprised to sit for a few hours in a restaurant and to hear only French songs. I was especially surprised hearing a blues song in French. That sounded quite strange.

Well, last summer there were hardly any tourists, and I was writing mostly about anti-war demonstrations in Tel Aviv , so I can’t really complain about blues songs in French…