Aviva Shemer

"“Tikkun” (Repair)"

Nella and Leon Benoziyo Building for Biological Sciences & Raoul and Graziella de Picciotto Building for Scientific and Technical Support 2nd floor

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Aviva Shemer (born 1942, Israel), attempted to create her artwork from the perspective of a tormented artist, expressing pain, criticism, and despair. She managed to bring upon herself quite a bit of suffering but was not satisfied with the results. Then, after much contemplation and deepening her knowledge of various scriptures, Shemer remembered the legacy of her great-grandfather, Nathaniel Mendel Schwartz of Safed, whose friends called him by a nickname meaning “be happy and make others happy.”

Shemer abandoned the theme of grievance and adopted the concept of “Tikkun Olam” – a term coined by Hillel the Elder – which, to put it simply, prefers the cup half-full, positive thinking, the desire to improve and repair the world and the ways of all human beings wherever they may be.

Tikkun Olam, according to Aviva Shemer, stems from every good deed, from every smile, from helping others. Mean well, do good – and good will come to you.

The series of works "Tikkun" (Repair), presented in this exhibition, is part of the same effort as “Tikkun Olam.” On the one hand, it represents a change in the artist's perception, a shift from distress and suffering to positive thinking and joy. But, equally important, it also allows the observers (almost urging them) to soar to a unique point where they, themselves, can embrace the darkness, then part ways – and grow toward the light.

Curator: Yivsam Azgad

Scientists meet Artists

(*Speeches in Hebrew)