Avner Ben Gal

Avner Ben-Gal (born 1966) is an international painter and artist, working mainly from Tel Aviv, Israel. His works depict various intense, often neglected locations such as agricultural fields, prisons and smoky interiors, whereby theatrical scenes play out. The scenes present ghostly, rough hewn and often low life figures that are bare and hardened. The parallel between Ben-Gal’s raw way of painting and his tough, ambiguous subject matter allows a unique intensity within his paintings.

Contents

• Education
• Prizes and awards
• Selected solo exhibitions
• Selected group exhibitions
• References

Avner Ben-Gal studied at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem. Ben-Gal was the subject of solo shows at museums such as the Tel-Aviv Museum of Art (2002, 2009); Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Basel, Switzerland (2008); and Sudden Poverty at the Aspen Art Museum, Colorado, United States (2007); and he has participated in various group shows, including DARK at the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, and as part of the Venice Biennial, 2003. A number of books have been published on his work, notably a catalogue to accompany his 2008 show in Basel.

He is currently represented by Sadie Coles HQ London, Bortolami Gallery, New York ,CFA Gallery, Berlin and by Tempo Rubato gallery, Tel-Aviv.

Education

1993 Cum Laude B.A. Fine Art, Bezalel Academy of Art and Design, Jerusalem

Prizes and awards

2001 Residency program at The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, New York (NY), USA

1998 Minister of Education and Cultural Prize, Israel

1996 Kollner award for excellent young artists, Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem, Israel

1993 Mary Fischer award for excellent young artists, Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem, Israel

Selected solo exhibitions

2013

The Rover, CFA Gallery, Berlin

2012

Sadie Coles HQ, London

2010

Smackville, Bortolami, NY

2009

Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel

2008

Fabio Tiboni, Bologna, Italy

Sadie Coles HQ, London

Kunstmuseum Basel, Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Switzerland

2007

Aspen Art Museum, Aspen, Colorado

2006

Bortolami Dayan, New York

2005

Sadie Coles HQ, London

Cursed By Slaves, Nouvelles Images Gallery, The Hague, Holland

2002

Helena, The Helena Rubinstein Pavilion of Art, Tel-Aviv Museum of Art, Tel-Aviv, Israel

2001

The Eve of Destruction, Tal Esther Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel

1999

New Army, Mary Fauzi Gallery, Tel - Aviv- Jaffa, Israel

1998

Curly Drugs, the Artists’ Studios Gallery, Tel-Aviv, Israel

1997

Design, Hamidrasha Academy of Art Gallery, Beit Berl, Israel

1995

Avivit, the Israel Museum of Art, Jerusalem

Selected group exhibitions

2013

“La figurazione inevitabile” per l'arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci, Prato, Italy

“Mythographies” , Yaffo 23, Jerusalem

2012

“Accelerating Toward Apocalypse: Works from the Doron Sebbag Art Collection”, Givon Art Forum, Tel Aviv, Israel

2011

“The Museum Presents Itself: Israeli Art from the Museum Collection”, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel

“The Second Strike”, Hezliya Museum of Contemporary Art, Hezliya, Israel

2010

Re-Dressing, Bortolami, NY

What Is Political, Bat - Yam Museum of art, Israel

2009

Directions, A Palazzo Gallery, Brescia, Italy

History of Violence, Haifa Museum of Art, Israel

2008

Penal Colony, Ein Harod Museum, Israel

SGOZZATA, Peres Projects, Berlin

Eventually We'll Die, Young art in Israel of the Nineties, Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, Israel

2007

XXS (Extra Extra Small), Sommer Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv, Israel

2006

Infinite Painting: Contemporary Painting and Global Realism, Villa Manin Centre for Contemporary Art, Passariano, Codroipo (Udine), Italy

Dark, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Rotterdam, Holland

Through the looking glass, Galerie Bob van Orsouw, Zurich

2005

A Wonderful View, Vous Etes Ici, Amsterdam

The New Hebrews, Martin Gropius-Bau, Berlin

2004

Huts, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin

Painting 2004, Victoria Miro Gallery, London

2003

Clandestine, the 50th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy

2001

The Armory Show, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv

Israel Spunky, Exit Art, New York

2000

Le Repubbliche Dell’Arte; the Israeli Season, Palazzo Delle Papesse, Sienna, Italy

Wish List: New Acquisitions, Israel Museum of Art, Jerusalem

1999

Ladies and Gentlemen, Tel-Aviv Museum of Art, Tel-Aviv, Israel

1998

Video Program # 3: Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, Herzliya, Israel

The Lesser Light, Israel Museum of Art, Jerusalem

Spring at the end of the summer, Tel-Aviv Museum of Art, Tel-Aviv, Israel

Ministry of Education and Culture Award Exhibition, Herzilya Museum of Contemporary Art, Herzliya, Israel

1994

En Suite, Museum van Hedenaagse Kunst, Ghent, Belgium

Transit, ArtFocus 1, New Central Bus Station, Tel-Aviv, Israel