05/09/2005
New Peace Plan in Brooklyn
Two Israeli artists are installing themselves at Jack the Pelican Presents gallery in Brooklyn to make a statement about Arab-Israeli relations. It seems they'll also be making a statement (squarely aimed at controversy) about sex and relationships between men.
"As schoolkids, we were taught to hate Arabs. It was getting worse. There's no basis for communication, no understanding of their culture," one of the artists, Gil, told the New York Post. "As Israelis, we couldn't ignore it. We thought we must do something that will overwhelm the politics, so we decided to fall in love with an Arab."
Gil and Moti plan to seduce lonely Arab men who send them photos by exchanging email, inviting their suitors to the gallery to sleep with them, and painting watercolors of the experience. The "Sleeping with the Enemy" exhibit will also feature a gallery of previous conquests and a "do not disturb" curtain that will be drawn during the act.
The couple was married in the Netherlands in 2001. It seems this kind of exhibit is poised to stir debate in gay circles as well, for while it takes radical steps to illustrate the Arab-Israeli conflict, it also perpetuates the image of gay men as promiscuous and appears to treat the notion of "falling in love" with as much seriousness as a one night stand.
Posted 1:30 PM EST by Andy Towle in Art & Design | Permalink
Like it?
Subscribe to FREE Towleroad daily headlines with our RSS feed!
RECENT STORIES:
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Like the outfits, the "art" installation strikes me as a desperate cry of gimmick. WTF is on their heads?
Posted by: ls | May 9, 2005 3:39:53 PM
I believe that's their actual hair that you're seeing on their heads. I looked at their website and, while it's a different color in almost every pic, it definately seems to be hair...very Oompa Loompa if you ask me. Maybe it's their subtle way of pre-promoting the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie ;)
Posted by: Wayne | May 9, 2005 4:51:55 PM
I have no idea what to make of this.
Posted by: HoyaBoy | May 9, 2005 5:35:24 PM
Gil&Moti..Gilbert&George?
Posted by: Rexless | May 9, 2005 7:13:51 PM
ah, to literalize the colonial impulse through concrete sexual conquest. dude. i should totally start specifically seeking out black men to sleep with and call it performance.
some people just make me want to quit art, take a vow of celibacy, join the mujahideen, and then campaign for the sanctity of marriage!
all at once!
Posted by: steven | May 9, 2005 9:52:42 PM
I disagree, uh Steve. make love, not war.
Posted by: dolly | May 9, 2005 10:56:45 PM
I love it! It is performance art, and a brave one too. Of course it smacks of being a tad too gimmicky, what isn't? Anything to highlight how preposterous and sad and (of late) staged the whole Arab/Palestine-Israeli situation is; it's the political situation they're trying to highlight, not the sexual acts. For all we know they might be playing scrabbles behind the closed curtain. And oh, I'm a gay Muslim, but not an Arab (darn).
Posted by: angeleto | May 9, 2005 11:15:42 PM
They should really consider not using the first "flabby abs" pic and just go with second "flawless abs" pic. They'll get more Arab hookups that way. Just some friendly advice!
Posted by: Cassius | May 10, 2005 4:10:08 AM
Greetings.
I saw your link to the story on Gil and Moti, the Israelis looking to fall in love with an Arab. They just posted their quirky 2 minute dating video here:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2674743
Best,
icarus
Posted by: icarus | Jul 26, 2005 7:37:13 PM