MOTTI MIZRACHI02-15.11.1978

To survive spiritually is the greatest dilemma of modern humanity. In Western society, human material existence has long been built up, but the spiritual side of life has often been forgotten. Among many contemporary artists, one finds a search for values beyond the material.

At Galerie S:t Petri in Lund, Motti Mizrachi from Israel presents large photographs whose symbolism has roots in both Zen Buddhism and Kabbalistic mysticism. His early works were filled with chaos, destructiveness, and a longing for death. He saw life as a path of suffering (Via Dolorosa). The body served as a metaphor to illustrate the possibilities of life.

In his later works, light has come to play an important role. Light as spiritual energy forms the basis in, for example, Neoplatonism, Jewish Kabbalah, and Zen Buddhism. The photographs shown at Galerie S:t Petri are contemplative images—urging the viewer toward stillness and reflection. Mizrachi often uses seemingly irrelevant objects in his works, referring again to Zen Buddhism, where what appears “meaningless” may seem confusing but whose task is to create concrete and intuitive knowledge of what cannot be attained through conventional learning.

For Motti Mizrachi, art is the same as a way of life.

The exhibition runs until November 15, 1978. Open weekdays 3–8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 1–5 p.m.