The Old Shaarei Zedek Hospital, The home of The Jerusalem Biennale
About The Jerusalem Biennale
The Jerusalem Biennale is the largest platform in the world for contemporary Jewish and Israeli art.
Founded in 2013 by Ram (Rami) Ozeri, The Jerusalem Biennale is dedicated to exploring the places where contemporary art meets the Jewish and Israeli experience.
It is a grand stage for contemporary artists who reference Jewish and Israeli thought, spirit, tradition, or experience in their work to exhibit their work in Jerusalem.
We are committed to showcasing thought-provoking and soul-inspiring exhibitions and events, and invite you to explore the art and ideas that speak to exactly now.
Past Biennales
JB2013, the first Jerusalem Biennale hosted works by more than 60 artists, most of them from Israel, and raised simple, somewhat naïve, questions like, “What is Contemporary Jewish Art?” and, “Does the category even exist?”
JB2015 was larger and presented a broader range of perspectives. Non-Israeli artists were significantly better represented and many well-established artists took part. The theme, Present Work, was tracing Bezalel founder Boris Shatz's search for a link between Jerusalem and Jewish communities all over the world.
JB2017 introduced a Watershed moment: it was the largest gathering of Contemporary Jewish Art enthusiasts in the history of Jerusalem. The 3rd Jerusalem Biennale hosted 31 exhibitions and projects from all around the world, with 231 participating artists and an estimated 30,000 people in attendance. A two-day conference, titled Watershed: Boundaries and Spaces in Contemporary Jewish Art, was held in collaboration with the Van Leer Jerusalem Research Institute. The Inspire Education Program launched for the first time, bringing 500 high school students from the periphery on a fully funded visit to Jerusalem Biennale.
JB2019 was held from October 10th through November 28th, 2019, attracting close to 50,000 visitors and hosting works by 243 artists in 31 exhibitions at 14 locations across Jerusalem. Sixty one events took place in gallery spaces, including live music, dance and theater, discussion panels, poetry readings and workshops. A conference, entitled “Contemporary Jewish Art, Now!,” was held in cooperation with the Van Leer Institute. Additionally 850 high school students from Israel’s geographic and social periphery participated in the second year of the Inspire Education Program.
The title of Biennale 2019 was For Heaven’s Sake!,originated from a well know Hebrew phrase, Leshem Shamayim, and represented opposing viewpoints that are at the heart of Jewish discourse, debate and argument.
JB2021 The fifth edition of The Jerusalem Biennale took place November 11 - December 30 under the title Four Cubits. In Jewish tradition, the term four cubits is used to demarcate the boundaries of a person’s private space. A cubit, or “ama,” in Hebrew, is an ancient measurement of length of about 0.5 meters. Therefore, four cubits are about 2 meters- the 2 meter radius surrounding a person is their personal space. Under this title, JB2021’s program consisted of three major components: Venues, PHASEs, and #TakeMeHome. All three had both in-person and online presence.