Drifting with Magritte
Castles in the Air
An in-depth look at the Israel Museum’s iconic, beloved, and mystifying Castle of the Pyrenees, 1959, by René Magritte.
This exhibition unfolds the intriguing story of how the painting came into being as a commission by Magritte’s good friend and patron Harry Torczyner, who later gifted it to the Museum. The evolution of the artist’s important stone motif is explored through related works, some of them never before displayed in Israel. Finally, a contemporary chapter in the show presents pieces by artists who were influenced by Magritte and his Castle, testimony to his enduring visual legacy.
- curatur: Efrat Aharon
- March 17 2021 - October 18 2022
Dani Karavan
on an Intimate Scale
The work of internationally acclaimed Israeli artist Dani Karavan (1930–2021) had many facets. He is best known for environmental sculptures that were groundbreaking in every sense. Engaging with land and space on a monumental scale, they cannot be contained: only the open air is expansive enough for them. But this exhibition presents a different facet of the artist, works from the beginning of his career and some from its end that share an intimacy of scale and subject.
- Curator: Amitai Mendelsohn
- December 7 2021 - June 1 2022
Wandering Dreams
Headrests from Africa
A first-time ever exhibition focusing on the headrest, an object that plays diverse roles among different African cultures. These small wooden objects were used mainly to support the head and protect complex hairstyles while sleeping. Most headrests belonged to men, who carried them visibly on their body and thereby communicated information about their age, social status and position, cultural affiliation, and personal taste. In some cultures, headrests also functioned as mediators to the world of spirits and ancestors through dreams.
- Curator: Yael Eshel
- March 29 2022
Divine Food
Maize, Cacao, and Maguey from Precolumbian to Contemporary Art
Unique treasures from the ancient Mesoamerican Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations are unveiled in this large-scale exhibition illustrating the domestication of maize, cacao, and maguey (agave). A dazzling, full-sized reconstruction of a Maya temple dominates the exhibition, in which visitors are invited to discover a world teeming with gods, myths, and ancient rites – all of which evolved from the cultivation of these crops.
- Curator: Yvonne Fleitman
- July 2 2021 - June 12 2022
Teddy’s Code
Activity Kit for the Whole Family !
Teddy Kollek, former mayor of Jerusalem and one of the founders of the Israel Museum, reaches out from the past and asks for your help. A moment before he is about to cut the ribbon to open Israel’s first national museum, he realizes that an important object is missing, and without it the museum cannot open!
Through challenges, activities, and clues found throughout the galleries, sculpture garden, and Shrine of the Book, you can help Teddy crack the code!
Don’t’ wait, hurry now!
Gallery Talks
An insider's glimpse into the Museum's exhibitions | Every Tuesday and Wednesday
Not Just the Weekly Torah Portion
Watch the new season of online encounters
The Israel Museum hosts Beit Avi Chai for a series of conversations about the weekly reading that are just a little bit different.