The Eyes of the Nation

Michal Na’aman

1974

Image

Photograph of Hebrew sign on empty beach with a rock jetty in background. — After the Yom Kippur War (1973), it became increasingly common for Israeli artists to address political issues and criticize Israeli society. In 1974, Na’aman placed two signs on the Tel Aviv beach reading, in Hebrew, “The Eyes of the Nation,” a reference to the capture of Mount Hermon by Israel during the war. The mountain’s altitude and its location in the Golan Heights provided Israel with a new strategic early-warning system, leading it to be nicknamed “the eyes of the nation.” Facing west, toward the water, Na’aman’s signs implicitly questioned how the State of Israel defined its borders.

Credits

Collection of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Courtesy of the artist. Image courtesy of Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 10.

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Creator Bio

Michal Na’aman

b. 1951

Michal Na’aman is one of Israel’s leading artists, whose paintings and photographs explore gender roles, religion, and politics. In 1982, she and Tamar Getter represented Israel at the Venice Biennale. Na’aman is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Meir Dizengoff Prize for Painting and Sculpture (1998). Her work has been the subject of several solo shows, including Legion, at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art (1999). She lives in Tel Aviv and teaches at the Midrasha Art College in Beit Berl.