Exhibition poster by Yossi Lemel
MALTA International Theatre Festival Foundation
Multikulti Project
proudly invite to opening
the exhibition of posters of Yossi Lemel
SERCE MOJE (MY SWEETHEART)
Friday, 8 August 2008, 18.00
The National Museum in Poznan
Al. Marcinkowskiego 9
The exhibition is the part of Tzadik Poznan Festival 2008.
National Museum of Poznan, MALTA International Theatre Festival Foundation and Multikulti Project invite to opening of the exhibition of Yossi Lemel's posters. The exhibition is connected with 2nd edition of Tzadik Poznan Festival, it will consist of retrospective of the known Israeli graphic designer's latest projects, including posters awarded on international competitions, like: "Blood Bath" (1. Prize: 1. International Poster Biennale, Corea 2002; Gold Medal: 7. International Poster Biennial, Mexico 2002), "Seam Line" (Critics Award: 20. Biennial of Graphic Design, Brno 2002) or "War and Peace"/"Peace and War" (2. Prize: 10. International Triennial of Political Poster, Mons 2007). Apart from the retrospective, there will be also shown two cycles: " Yossi Lemel and his Father, 1945-2005, 60 years since the Liberation" and "Serce Moje" ("My Heart") - the last one presented for the first time. All chosen poster concern Jewish subject-matter.
Exhibition: 8-24th August 2008.
Posters made by Yossi Lemel are characteric for its emotionality and clear visual language at the same time. Lemel explores subject especially close to him - problem of Israeli-Palestinian conflict and current political incidents, which is very inconvenient subject. He talks about the feeling of fear, about the borders, about the distance and hard returns. His posters are strongly set in political context of present Israel, simultaneously refer to universal values. Yossi Lemel mostly uses photography, often made of minimalistic composition, which is connected with his advertising design experience. As a teacher he is also deeply involved in popularization of co-operation between Israeli and Palestinian artists, he was one of the curators of such exhibitions like: "Beyond the Front Lines - Political Poster Art from Israel" and "Both Sides of Peace". His works are shown not only in galleries, but also in the space of the cities as billboards.
Different character have cycles: "1945-2005, Yossi Lemel and his father" and the latest "Serce Moje", made especially for exhibition in Poznan. Both of them are connected with history of Yossi Lemel's family, he reaches polish roots of his parents. First cycle was made in 2005, realised in the area of former concentration camps of Auschwitz and Sachsenhausen. The idea of the artist was to personify the history of his father, Bernard Lemel, "Serce Moje" is about his mother, Batya. In the first one the main character was Yossi, in the second cycle main role plays his 8-year-old daughter, Noa. "Serce Moje" consists of 10 poster-photographs made in Bedzin in Slask (Upper Silesia), the home town of Batya Lemel. In the spring 2008 Lemel took his mother to Poland, she hasn't been to these places for 65 years. The effect is the cycle of 13 posters-photographs. The title of the project - "Serce Moje" - refers to Batya's childhood, whose mother used to call her using this nickname. Now, as an adult woman, Batya uses "Serce Moje" to call her granddaughter Noa, the second heroine of the cycle. Subtitle "70 years, 7 sisters" appeals to seven girls in Batya's family (she was the only one who managed to survive the Second World War) and symbolically shows 1938, when as a ten-year-old child Batya experienced the happiest years of her childhood.
Biographical note:
Yossi Lemel was born in Jerusalem In 1957. Between 1979 - 1983 he studiem graphic design at Bezalel Academy Of Art And Design in the same city. He has worked as a lecturer at: Loyola University in New Orlean (1999), Ascola Academy of Visual Communication in Tel Aviv and Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design in Denver (Colorado, 2002). He was also a guest lecturer in Boston, Istanbul and Stockholm. He cooperated with many graphic studios like: Ariely Advertising Agency in Tel Aviv, he was also artistic director of the firm RPMP Advertising Agency in Paris. Co-founder of the firms: Yossi Lemel Design Studio (1986-1988), Yossi Lemel Advertising Agency (1989-1994), Lemel Glazer Bar Advertising Agency (1994-2000) and since 2001 Lemel Cohen Advertising Agency in Tel Aviv. Member of Graphic Designers Association of Israel. Co-curator of the exhibitions: Beyond the Front Lines - Political Poster Art from Israel oraz Both Sides of Peace.