The work of Israel Abou weaves an intimate investigation into the origins of the world, the mysteries of creation, the links of man to the earth.
His creations revisit ancient rituals, are inspired by sacred architecture, and induce perspectives with the contemporary world. His work always reveals in its form dimensions of Space / Time / Light.
Born in France in 1974, Abou comes from “a cell that split into two to give birth to twins”, a recurring double theme in his work. Coming from a Jewish family in Algeria, he has been questioning his complex identity for two decades in his work. He reappropriates the gestures, objects, clothes of his culture of origin to interweave them with those of other civilizations to tell his own story.
The artist grew up and lived at the foot of the trees of the forest of Fontainebleau. This is undoubtedly what will impress in him this attachment to nature which transpires strongly in his productions.
His original medium is film and video.
For his projects, he writes, produces, installs, films, interprets, edits, exhibits, giving birth to so-called experimental cinema.
His work has evolved over the past two years towards the construction of objects, structures, made from materials such as wood, copper, gold, paper, cotton, linen, and more recently stone and earth... creating museum installation where videos and sculptures mingle.
Since 2021, Israel Abou has been developing his Beith project, focused on the notion of habitat. Based on the construction of four houses with light structures, the project questions our modern living conditions and our nomadic origins. An echo of the major themes that agitate our societies: ecology, climate, new paradigms, overpopulation, technologies...
civilisation . culture . identity . mystery . nature . ritual
His creations revisit ancient rituals, are inspired by sacred architecture, and induce perspectives with the contemporary world. His work always reveals in its form dimensions of Space / Time / Light.
Born in France in 1974, Abou comes from “a cell that split into two to give birth to twins”, a recurring double theme in his work. Coming from a Jewish family in Algeria, he has been questioning his complex identity for two decades in his work. He reappropriates the gestures, objects, clothes of his culture of origin to interweave them with those of other civilizations to tell his own story.
The artist grew up and lived at the foot of the trees of the forest of Fontainebleau. This is undoubtedly what will impress in him this attachment to nature which transpires strongly in his productions.
His original medium is film and video.
For his projects, he writes, produces, installs, films, interprets, edits, exhibits, giving birth to so-called experimental cinema.
His work has evolved over the past two years towards the construction of objects, structures, made from materials such as wood, copper, gold, paper, cotton, linen, and more recently stone and earth... creating museum installation where videos and sculptures mingle.
Since 2021, Israel Abou has been developing his Beith project, focused on the notion of habitat. Based on the construction of four houses with light structures, the project questions our modern living conditions and our nomadic origins. An echo of the major themes that agitate our societies: ecology, climate, new paradigms, overpopulation, technologies...
civilisation . culture . identity . mystery . nature . ritual
Solo exhibitions
Curator: Dr. Batsheva Goldman-Ida
2019 “Gotland, three pulses”,Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art,
Curator: Yona Fischer
2006 Piazza dello Amor Perfetto, Gallery Attilalou, Paris
Curator: Mathias Kiss
Group exhibitions
2021 Alyah, Art Space TLV,
Curator: Yair Barak
Curator: Yair Barak
Curator: Marie De Paris
2012 Are you there, Paris design week, Slott Gallery
2012 Are you there, Art Paris Art Fair, Grand Palais
Curator: Paola Bjaringer
2011 Are you there, Festival CineNordica, Paris
2010 Are you there, Galerie Slott, Paris
FILMOGRAPHY
2020 Je te sais / Shivta (Israel - color - 16/9 6’00 min)
2019 Je te sais / Nahal Kziv (Israel - color - 16/9 7’00 min)
2018 Je te sais / Nahal Kziv (Israel - color - 16/9 - 6’50 min.)
2017 Je te sais / Yakushima (Japan - color - 16/9 - 6’50 min)
2016 Je te sais / Lofoten (Norvège - color - 16/9 - 9’00 min)
2014 Takhrikhin / Dead sea (Israël - color - 16/9 - 5’00 min)
2013 Le mystere de la mer de sel / Dead sea (Israel - Color - 16/9 - 10’00 min)
2012 L’île du sacrifice / Gotland (Sweden - Color - 16/9 - 7’20 min)
2011 Alyah (Norway - Color - 16/9 - 9’10 min)
2011 Kinah (France - Color - 16/9 - 11’00 mins)
2010 Dead sea (Israel - Color -16/9 - 7’50 min)
2010 Gotland (Sweden - Color - 16/9 - 8’50 min)
2019 Je te sais / Nahal Kziv (Israel - color - 16/9 7’00 min)
2018 Je te sais / Nahal Kziv (Israel - color - 16/9 - 6’50 min.)
2017 Je te sais / Yakushima (Japan - color - 16/9 - 6’50 min)
2016 Je te sais / Lofoten (Norvège - color - 16/9 - 9’00 min)
2014 Takhrikhin / Dead sea (Israël - color - 16/9 - 5’00 min)
2013 Le mystere de la mer de sel / Dead sea (Israel - Color - 16/9 - 10’00 min)
2012 L’île du sacrifice / Gotland (Sweden - Color - 16/9 - 7’20 min)
2011 Alyah (Norway - Color - 16/9 - 9’10 min)
2011 Kinah (France - Color - 16/9 - 11’00 mins)
2010 Dead sea (Israel - Color -16/9 - 7’50 min)
2010 Gotland (Sweden - Color - 16/9 - 8’50 min)