90 days of Berlin by Zigi Ben-Haim

90 Days of Berlin Zigi Ben-Haim

For the people of Berlin

90 Days of Berlin Zigi Ben-Haim

November 3 - December 15, 2011 German House Gallery German Consulate General, 871 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017

T HA N K YOU I would like to thank my friend Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger for his ongoing encouragement, support, and writing the introduction for the book. Special thanks to DAAD for inviting me to live and work in Berlin, especially to Dr. Friedrich Meschede, who contributed to my memorable experience. Many thanks to: Busso von Alvensleben, German Consul General, for hosting the exhibition. Sebastian Fohrbeck, DAAD Director Jakob von Wagner, Head of the Cultural Department, and his staff at German Consulate General for making this exhibition possible. Credits Production - Tsipi Ben-Haim Design - Daye Kim Printing consultant - Teddy Dichne Printing - The Printhouse, Brooklyn Video editing - Yori Ben-Haim Video Footage - Tal Larish, ZDF German TV

This book was made possible with the generous support of ALLIANZ SE ÂŠ 2011 Zigi Ben-Haim

Forward : “90 Days of Berlin” by Busso von Albensleben, Consul General Sometimes we forget that humankind is part of nature. And everything we think, say, invent, develop or build is derived from nature as well – even the seemingly most artificial things, like a public transportation system. Nature enables us. And that should make us humble. American-Israeli artist Zigi Ben-Haim reminds us of this by creating manifold connections in his works. He connects the big with the little, the particular with the ordinary. He visibly links the creation of mankind to the public transportation network of Berlin. He connects his rich cultural background of Judaism and of the influence from his city of birth, Baghdad, with the modernity of New York City and its wild liveliness. But he also draws connections between the leafcutter ants of the forests of Costa Rica, the brick as an example for a manmade structure made of natural material, the Berlin Ampelmännchen or the Reichstag building. By doing so, he connects Berlin with New York and beyond. The German Consulate General in New York is proud to host Zigi Ben-Haim’s exhibition 90 Days of Berlin. Zigi Ben-Haim was invited to Berlin 2004 / 2005 as part of DAAD’s renowned Artists-in-Residence Program. All works exhibited in this show originated from this stay.

Busso von Alvensleben

German Consul General, German Consulate General, New York

Introduction : “90 Days of Berlin” by Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger How many times have you had someone come to visit you in your home city or town and during their peregrinations, and in conversations afterwards they tell you about things that you, in your daily life, might have missed, taken for granted or glossed over. This is the case for me, a long time resident of Berlin, with the publication of a book by my friend Zigi Ben-Haim, entitled “90 days of Berlin.” The work contains a compendium of drawings and paintings made by Zigi during his stay in Berlin in 2004 and 2005 as a DAAD artist-in-residence. It reveals some magnificent illustrations of the wonders of Berlin, from its fabulous new and old architecture, its exciting street life, and the artist’s perspective of its interesting people. It has been over 20 years since Germany has become unified and Berlin resumed its place as the Capitol of the German nation. Building from its past, and memorializing both the tragedy of the Third Reich and those who were victims of the Nazi regime. In the past two decades, Berlin has become a dynamic city which has embraced new immigrants, from outside and inside of Germany, and it is recapturing its role as one of the world’s premier places to be. With the prism of an artist’s finely trained eye, Zigi Ben-Haim captured Berlin’s rebirth and I am indebted to him for doing so. I first came to know Zigi Ben-Haim in 2004 when I was serving as the German Ambassador to the United States. I met him and his wife Tsipi through our mutual friend Uli Wickert at Uli’s 60th birthday celebration. I was enchanted by both Zigi and his art, and invited him to show his traveling sculptures exhibition at the Ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C. where I was then located. Zigi’s art received tremendous accolades and my wife Jutta and I developed a lasting and valued friendship with Zigi and Tsipi. We continue to visit with one another when we are in each other’s cities. Zigi’s own life captures the dynamics of the post World War II era with all of its excitement, tragedy, and dislocations. Born in Bagdad, Iraq, he was five years old when his parents fled Iraq to Tel Aviv to make a new life in the, then, very-

young and emerging nation of Israel. As a student, his artistic talents were great and were noticed by the American Israel Cultural Foundation which in 1970 provided him with a scholarship to study in California. The lure of New York City captured him and it was there in Manhattan that he settled and where he, Tsipi, and his son Yori continue to live today. Like other great artists, Zigi Ben-Haim uses his talents to inspire and educate. His life mission is to build bridges of understanding between art and culture, as reflected in his works in this book. He continues to spend much time in Israel but he has also said that Berlin has come to mean much to him, as there is a lot about it that reminds him of New York’s Soho in the early 70’s. With the support of Allianz SE, Zigi has been able to put together in this book the artistic legacy of his time in Berlin, and I am delighted that this will allow thousands more to share the wonders of his artworks which I have enjoyed tremendously over the years. Zigi in his character and soul is an ARTIST, and his work is constantly inventive, challenging and beautiful. I have no doubt that “90 Days of Berlin” will be very well received in Germany, the United States and other nations as well. The publication of this book will coincide with the exhibition of Zigi’s work at the German House in New York City, opening on November 3, 2011. How much better the world is because of the talents of Zigi Ben-Haim who renews our soul and spirit through his splendid art.

Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger Allianz SE Berlin, Germany

Zigi Ben-Haim

November 28, 1945, Lives and works in New York City and Israel Education 1972-74 1972-73 1971 1966-70

M.F.A., San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California, USA M.A., J.F.K. University, Orinda, California, USA California College of Arts, Oakland, California, USA The Avni Institute of Fine Arts, Tel-Aviv, Israel.

Grants & Awards 2007-08 2004 2000 1996 1992 1990 1990 1984 1983 1982 1970 1966-70

The Emily Harvey Foundation, Fellowship to Venice, Italy DAAD Fellowship to Berlin, Germany Niche Award for sculpture Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant Guest Artist Fellowship, Artists Union, U.S.S.R. Pollack Krasner Foundation Grant. MacDowell Colony Residency, NH, USA National Endowment for the Arts. New York State Council on the Arts, A.R.E.A. Project. Muestra Int. do Obra Grafica, Bilbao, Spain. Ministry of Culture, Israel America Israel Culture Foundation, Israel

Selected Solo Exhibitions 2011 “Al Naharot Bavel,” The Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center, Or-Yehuda, Israel 2009 “Paintings and Photoworks,” Gallery 40 Rother, Wiesbaden, Germany 2007 “Industrial Baroque,” Painting, Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, NY, USA (catalogue) 2005 “90 Days of Berlin,” Sculpture, Paintings, & Drawings, Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, NY, USA (catalogue) 2004-05 “Journey With Me,” Sculpture, German Embassy, Washington D.C., USA (catalogue) 2003-04 “Splendid Step”, Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, New York, NY, USA commissioned by the City of New York/Parks & Recreation 2003 “Journey with Me”, Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ, USA (catalogue) “Painting and Sculpture”, Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, NY, USA (catalogue) 2002 “Journey With Me,” Sculpture 1984-2000, in collaboration with Laumeier Sculpture Park, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA (catalogue) 2000 “Blue Highway”, Haifa Museum, Haifa, Israel (catalogue) 1999 Sculpture and Drawing, Las Vegas Art Museum, Las Vegas, NV, USA (catalogue) “Journey With Me”, Sculpture 1984-1997, Cedarhurst Sculpture Park, Mt.Vernon, IL, USA (catalogue) “Paintings 1992-1996”, Mitchell Museum, Mt. Vernon, IL, USA 1998 “Zigi Ben-Haim; And Now Public Sculptures”, Eretz Israel Museum, Tel–Aviv, Israel Produced by Projective-Artists Museums-Israeli Center (catalogue) 1997 – 98 “Journey With Me” Sculpture 1984 – 1997, Fordham University, Sculpture garden at Lincoln center, New York, NY, USA (catalogue) 1997 “Paintings & Drawings”, Chelouche Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel 1996 “Leaf Path”, Curated by Maggie Nolan, Ann Harper Gallery, Amagansett, NY, USA 1995 “Windows ‘95”, ZDF German T.V., New York, NY, USA “Scattered Echo”, Chelouche Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel (catalogue). 1989-91 “The Dance”, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA (traveling exhibition, catalogue).

Selected Group Exhibitions 2010-11 “NASA Art: 50 Years of Exploration,” Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington D.C., USA (Traveling show, book) 2009 “Works on Paper,” Chelouche Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel 2008 KIAF, Art Fair, Korea 2008 “Photo Miami,” Galerie Rother, Miami, FL, USA 2005 The Kreeger Museum, Washington D.C., USA 2004 “Sculpture”, Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ, USA “Enchantment,” Wave Hill, NY, USA “The International Armory Show”, Stefan Stux Gallery Booth, Pier 90, New York, NY, USA (catalogue) 2003 “Wandering Library”, International Artists’ Museum, Venice, Italy “Works from the Collection”, Jewish Museum, New York, NY, USA Selected Outdoor Public Sculpture “PoeTree and Photoworks,” The Hearts Center, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Israel “PoeTree,” Valbonne, South of France “Splendid Step”, Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, New York, NY, USA “On the Main Road”, Ra’anana, Israel Sculptures, Topor Sculpture Garden, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Israel “Sea of Time”, Ashkelon, Israel “The Bright Side of Tomorrow”, School Ma’ale Hacdomim, Israel “Chariot of Time”, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA “The Dance”, Art Acres Sculpture Park, Boca Raton, Florida, USA “A Note in the Green”, Tel-Aviv, Israel “Legion of Titans”, Tel-Hai, Israel “Beyond the Halting Step of Deeds”, Riverdale, New York, USA “Blooming Stone”, Frederick Weisman Foundation of Art, Los Angeles, CA, USA “Rolling Rock”, River Hill Sculpture, Livingstone, New Jersey, USA. “Vintage Breeze”, The Borough of Manhattan Community College, New York, NY, USA “Wind Hunter”, Jerusalem, Israel “Rising Path”, Phillip Berman Museum, Ursinus College, Coegevie, PA, USA “Blooming Stone”, Frederick Weisman Foundation of Art, Los Angeles, CA, USA Selected Public Collections Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens, Greece; Hofstra University Museum, Hempstead, NY, USA; Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC, USA; Israel Air Force Center Foundation, Herzelia, Israel; NASA Headquarters, Houston, TX, USA; Bank Leumi USA, New York, NY, USA; Pfizer Company Collection, New York, NY, USA; Reading Public Museum, Reading, PA, USA; Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY, USA; Haifa Museum, Haifa, Israel; Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; New School, New York, NY, USA; University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel; Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Malmo Museum, Malmo, Sweden; Jewish Museum, New York, NY, USA; Tel-Aviv Museum of Art, Tel-Aviv, Israel; Ghent Museum, Ghent, Belgium; American National Gallery, Washington D.C. USA; Fine Arts Museum of Long Island, Hempstead, NY, USA; Buscaglia-Castellanni, University Museum, Lewiston, NY, USA; Dan Eilat Hotel, Israel.; International Paper Company, New York, NY, USA; World Bank, Washington D.C., USA; Davis Polk & Wordwell, New York, NY, USA; Westminster Bank, New York, NY, USA; Israel Embassy, Washington D.C. USA; Frederick R. Weisman, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Rikers Hill Sculpture Park, Livingston, NJ, USA; Heckscher Museum, Huntington, NY, USA; Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH, USA

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