Israeli Artist Wants His Historic Knesset Sculpture Removed in Protest

HYPERALLERGIC

By Mairav Zonszein

Dani Karavan’s “Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem” (1965–66) in the Knesset assembly hall (photo by @sabriatelman/Instagram)

ISREAL---Israeli artist Dani Karavan, known for his site-specific sculptures in Israel and Europe, requested on Wednesday that the relief on the wall of the Knesset Plenum Hall that he completed in 1966 be taken down in light of the Israeli government’s conduct. Karavan, who is an Israel Prize recipient and who just last week received a Catalan award (Pablo Picasso was also a recipient) for his work “Passages — Homage to Walter Benjamin” (1990–94) — which memorializes Walter Benjamin in the location where he committed suicide — was referring to decisions by Israel’s Culture Minister, Miri Regev, to penalize artists who refuse to perform in the occupied West Bank. [link]