Israel, without representation at the Venice Biennale

Israel will be without representation at the 60th edition of the Venice Biennale because the artist chosen by the Hebrew state to represent the country has decided to keep the pavilion closed until a ceasefire is agreed in Gaza and all are released the hostages In a message published on her website, the artist Ruth Patir states that the intention is not "to cancel herself or the exhibition, but to adopt a stance of solidarity with the families of the hostages and the wider community of Israel that calls for a change". Patir's exhibition is titled (M)otherland, a play on English words between "motherland" and "the land of others" and is a video installation that reflects on "femininity and the burdens on the body of the woman".

The artwork brings together archeology and advanced imaging technologies, and combines a first-person narrative with the shared experiences of thousands of women around the world and over time.

According to the press release of Patir's participation dossier at the Venice Biennale, the work wants to explore how personal experiences are marked by "national constructions" and by its own criticism.

"In the midst of a period when the nation, having endured the most brutal attack in its history, is immersed in one of the bloodiest wars for the leadership of a hard-right government, Patir's insistence on an intimate mode of expression also has a political meaning", states the document on the Israeli participation in the Biennale.

The Israeli pavilion was supposed to open on the 20th, but for now it will be closed, as the artist has confirmed on his website, pending a ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas.