Migration has been a pivotal narrative in Israel even before its establishment in 1948. Hence in this course we will discuss questions of identity, place and belonging, and consider their correlation to artistic productions made by local artists from different periods and social groups – starting with the end of 19^th century and until the contemporary.

Among the topics we will discuss are the influences of the Zionist movement and ideology on migration in and out of Israel. We will also consider the effect of major global processes such as World War II and the fall of the Communist Bloc on the migration to Israel and the ways in which it has impacted the field of local visual culture. Special attention will be given to gendered aspects of migration in Israel. 

As migrants are called into construction of new strategies in regard to the concept of Selfhood we will be debating issues of subjectivity and agency under conditions of uprooting and re-grounding within nation-states. Migrating artists, who have experienced transition, construct their subjectivity in relation to ever-changing parameters on the axes of ethnicity; nation; religion; gender, etc. In this course we will discuss the influence of the multi-dimensional identities of modern and postmodern Israeli artists on the production of art, while special emphasis will be put on artworks created under an ever growing transnational world (through concepts such as multi-culturalism and identity-politics). Fundamental tools through which these issues will be analyzed are migration and cultural theories, and emblematic works will be demonstrated. Among the prominent artists discussed are Reuven Rubin, Ana Ticho, Meiron Sima, Hannah Orloff, Meir Pitchhadza, Philip Renzer, Pamela Levy and Zoya Cherkesky.