EXHIBITION

Cafe Connection is a multi-media art installation, including paintings, texts, sound, storytelling and taste focusing on everyday life in the Jewish and Arabic cafes of Jerusalem. The installation invites conversation about everyday life in Jerusalem and the people who inhabit this complex city.

Most people's exposure to Jerusalem is via mass media, yet for both Jews and Arabs, life is much broader than what appears in the media. The installation explores the non-intense aspects of this intense city in both West and East Jerusalem, opening channels between the Holy Land and elsewhere. It invites those abroad to encounter everyday aspects of life in Jerusalem, remaining immersed in their familiar environment while interacting with the distant "other" through the lens of painting, sound, taste and the written word.

The installation includes paintings of Jerusalem's cafes, printed interviews and a soundtrack. The paintings, created by Azriel Cohen were painted originally in miniature form (about playing card or postcard size) and then digitally enlarged to about 6 ft. tall onto canvas. Accompanying the art are interviews he conducted with the owners of the cafes about the name of the café, its history, interior design, clientele and menu. In the background there is a soundtrack including recordings from radio broadcasts , a selection of music and Jerusalem coffee to taste.

Finally, the installation includes a "Walking Tour of Jerusalem's Cafes", a 45-minute program where the artist walks a group from painting to painting while recounting personal experiences in the cafes during the course of one year.

The exhibition has been displayed in England, Jerusalem, Budapest and the United States. The installation has drawn international media attention, including Haaretz of Israel, Voice of Israel Radio, Scotland's the Scotsman and the Christian Science Monitor.

The exhibition will remain on display for the duration of the program.