Ron Arad's monumental installation 720 degrees, an immersive experience that presents 360-degree screenings of films and video art, will be in the heart of the Israel Museum's Isamu Noguchi-designed Billy Rose Art Garden.
Composed of 5,600 silicon rods suspended from a height of 26 feet to form a perfect circle, 720° will allow visitors to experience projections both inside the installation's interior and also from vantage points across the Museum's 20-acre campus.
A prolific artist and designer who has experimented with varied materials and textures throughout his career, Arad provides an alternative experience of images in motion with this interactive installation. Each evening, video works and films by Mat Collishaw, Ori Gersht, Christian Marclay, and David Shrigley, among many others, will be projected on 720° in an hour-long loop.
In addition, short, surprise performances with leading Israeli artists in music, dance, poetry, and theater will be staged within and projected on the massive installation. Performances will not be announced in advance, creating unexpected and memorable experiences for each evening's guests.
"We are always experimenting with new ways for our visitors to interact with great works of art in the Museum's unique landscape and setting," said James S. Snyder, Anne and Jerome Fisher Director of the Israel Museum.
"Ron Arad is one of the leading figures in art and design to emerge from Israel's current generation, and we are delighted to provide him with our very special venue for this monumentally engaging work. We look forward to enjoying our audience's spontaneous interactions with and responses to it."
Photos: Haim Yaffim