Adi Nes
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Adi Nes, born 1966
Untitled, 1999
C-print, 185 x 235
Private collection, on loan from the
Tel Aviv Museum of Art
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Adi Nes has photographed what appears to be a routine military meal. However, because of the work’s source of inspiration – Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper – this everyday scene is transfigured into myth. The painting depicts the moment when Jesus reveals that he is about to be betrayed by one of his own disciples, an event that leads up to his crucifixion, the ultimate redemptive act in Christian belief. By transposing this scene to an Israeli military context, the artist makes a powerful political statement on sacrifice and betrayal, while simultaneously translating daily routine into timeless divinity: the earthly meal will culminate in an ascent to heaven.