"Fusion" is a stew making simultaneous use of different cultures, a kind of melting pot using traditional ingredients to produce a brand new dish, while at the same time blurring the unique qualities of each culture.
The Israeli cuisine turns out dishes of a schizophrenic character, like the MacShwarma.

The parallel images in art reflecting that division are those works which stress cultural and ethnic conflict by using images whose aspect changes in different cultures. Examples of fusion in Israeli art: the sabra (prickly pear) in a flower-pot, familiar equally in the work of Assam Abu Shakra, or in the drawings of Dudu Geva, where the sabra is located in a can of pickled olives. That image is comparable to the MacShwarma, both being hybrids while yet generating a metonymy for the Israeli character. Jonathan Hirschfeld creates an image of a hybrid society. The civilized world has metamorphosed into a world of demons and wolves, which constitute images that are exhibited alongside Hanan Abu Hussein's curtain of razor blades. The curtain image also touches upon the demonic aspects of society.

Cernika's delineation of images defines their living space, the sabra in its pot reflected by the Moroccan grandmother in her kitchen.

When artists are willing to generate a joint dialogue, the stew brewed up possesses a unique aroma. I prefer to define it as a fusion that preserves the uniqueness of each artist, while creating the discourse for a new discussion.

Adi Ben-Horin
Exhibition Curator

Hanan Abu Hussein

Jonathan Hirschfeld

Ronit Chernica