Masaryk Square - Relationship in motion (AR/VR Exhibition)

The joint exhibitions between Israel and the Czech Republic.

Masaryk Square AR/VR Exhibition is the first outcome of the collaboration between the Faculty of Design at Holon Institute of Technology, Holon, Israel, and the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art at the University of West Bohemia, Pilsen, Czech Republic. The joint efforts are motivated by the 30th anniversary of the renewal of the diplomatic relations between our countries, and are directed by Eitan Bartal, Arnošt Marks and Jan Van Woensel.

We are grateful for the financial support from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of the State of Israel in the Czech Republic, the City of Pilsen, the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art and the University of West Bohemia.

The exhibition brings together the results from the course “Design and Development to Virtual Reality Environment”. The project successfully connects our creative students who can benefit from the expertise of both faculties as well as from the technical equipment of their laboratories and studios. The exchange of our students gives us an opportunity to re-map our academic fields via the development of a shared space for projects that combine technology, science and design.

The leitmotif of our collaboration as well as our progressive interest in new media inspired us to highlight and reenergize in the virtual space the key figures, such as Lola Beer Ebner, Alfred Neumann, The Golem of Prague, Miloš Forman, Terezín, Jaroslav Jakubovicz, Franz Kafka and historical events that tie together the cultures and communities of Israel and the Czech Republic. Significant topics of our shared heritage are therefore embedded in the focus of the exhibitions and the projects we produce. In that way, the urban space of Tel Aviv’s Masaryk Square has served as a catalyst for and a meeting point of new visual and virtual narratives. Resulting from their research, students have created immersive VR experiences to which the viewer is invited to actively participate. In small teams and guided by lecturers Eitan Bartal and Alon Rubin, they have developed seven unique projects that are brought together under the title Masaryk Square AR/VR Exhibition Relationship in motion.

Together with the opening of our VR-focused exhibition, we will also once again present the project Mysterious Bond, led by the well-known illustrator Renáta Fučíková, which is equally inspired by the longstanding and deep-rooted friendship between Israel and the Czech Republic.

With the presentation of Masaryk Square AR/VR Exhibition we are excited to continue to explore new ways of presenting and distributing the united stories of our countries: our relationship is in motion, and it looks towards the future.

Students of Holon Institute of Technology:

• Bodman Galit
• Sofie Blinder
• Ronny Benhaim
• Inbar Hazut
• Ben Azulay
• Or Gal
• Michelle Hahiashvil
• Hadar Thomas Perry
• Roey Biran
• Tal Lindenfeld
• Yeal Tal
• Yuval Halevy
• Avner Adan
• Ron Glezer Dahan
• Doron Van Der Lugt
• Serj Rozanov
• Anna Bovkun

Visit Exhibition

Opens: 17/01/2021

The exhibition was made possible by the continuing close collaboration with Smadar Tsook and Ofer Getz, an upcoming young design studio, which specializes in digital art exhibition design.

This exhibition allows, for the first time, a virtual tour of the Vitrina Gallery using WEBGL technology, which enables 3D experiences in the internet browser.

The Vitrina Digital Gallery at HIT continues to present new exhibitions, while promoting each time the potential and the possibilities using this new technology.

Posted: 18/01/2021