The expression “wanderlust” stems from a romantic German tradition, meaning “the drive and joy to travel.” Israelis are well acquainted with this specific type of bug; tourists funnel into this culture-packed country just as locals funnel out with the Mediterranean tides. This spring, Beit Ha’ir is bringing Portugal to Tel Aviv.
“Wanderlust Art” continues the line of collective exhibitions that have been gracing the walls of Beit Ha’ir, Tel Aviv’s first ever Town Hall, since last summer. The Bialik Compound first saw the sights of Prettimess, a community of ridiculously talented South Tel Avivian artists who relocated their works front and (city) center; followed by “Klub7,” the German collective that redefined black and white thinking for the Tel Aviv audience; now, after much anticipation, the Double Trouble Crew has united three pioneers of Lisbon’s urban art scene for an electrifying display.
Double Trouble
While artists Nomen, RAM, and Utopia all belong to one collective, their themes and stylistic choices could not be more individualized. Oliveiros Junior (Utopia) devotes his art to an appreciation for nature, using a wide range of materials in his work – from wood to mirrors and mosaic. Ram Miguel (short for Raamses) is a self-appointed historian – he paints in a more abstract style in an attempt to capture energy from the surrounding universe. And Nuno Nomen, who is somewhat of a stylistic chameleon, creates new graffiti fonts, as well as figurative and narrative art.
For their latest exhibition at Beit Ha’ir, Double Trouble has chosen to highlight local patriotic works, whereby the final product is dedicated to the foundations of Portuguese culture and history. The members of the collective have cast their spotlight on three important names from three separate generations: Ana Moura, a vocal icon from their generation that rose to fame as a Fado singer (the traditional musical genre of Portugal); Zé Pedro, the soloist of Xutos & Pontapés, the largest rock band in Portugal, who died about a month ago; and Righteous Among the Nations, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who produced 30,000 visas for Jews during World War II at the Portuguese consulate in France: “We thought he’d be a good link between the two cultures [Portuguese and Israeli],” explains Ram, and it seems that these troublemakers are unafraid, having voiced their disinterest in merely leaving with a passport stamp; the trio plans to leave their mark on the streets of Tel Aviv. “There are a lot of good places to paint here. After we set up the exhibition, it will be okay for us to get caught,” laughs Nomen. “Absolutely,” agrees RAM, “let us be arrested two days before the opening.”
“Wanderlust Art,” is on display at Beit Ha’ir, 27 Bialik St, Tel Aviv