It might be a sign of the time, the IDF and the Association for the Wellbeing of Israeli Soldiers are presenting the first ever art exhibit of paintings, sculptures, photographs and digital media all made by IDF soldiers, while in military service. Out of over 200 submissions a few dozen were chosen for this exhibit, which was called: Colors in Rifle Barrels.
Ron Jacobsohn, JN1 Correspondent:
It might be a sign of the time, the IDF and the Association for the Wellbeing of Israeli Soldiers is presenting for the first time an art exhibit of paintings, sculptures, photographs and digital media by IDF soldiers. Out of over 200 submissions a few dozen were chosen for this exhibit, which was simple called: Colors in Rifle Barrels.
As chairman of the AWIS, which cares for the welfare of the IDF soldiers, Retired Brigadier-General, Avigdor Kahalani, came up with the idea of the creating the exhibit to show to the world that the Israeli soldiers are not only fierce warriors.
Avigdor Kahalani, Chairman, AWIS:
All my life I was a combat soldier and I fought many wars in our country, and I know that we have in our country many many soldiers that are completely different from their image all over the world, and I thought this is a good opportunity to show the world and the people of Israel that we have soldiers that have a soul and they can create many things.
Retired Brigadier-General, Ehud Gross, who served as the Chairman of the Referee Committee of the exhibiting, explains that his committee did not give any waivers while judging the art of the soldiers.
Ehud Gross, Chairman of the Referee Committee:
I think it’s marvelous and it shows the dual face of the Israelis. As a general, soldiers and citizens and human beings and this is a complex in which you find harmony between the soldier as a human being and between the human being as a soldier or the soldier as an artist which is the utmost expression that you can give to a military man.
Karin Molcho from the IDF’s Border Police, drew a painting of an Ethiopian mother mourning the death of her son. The painting won the Peoples Choice Award through on the special Facebook page that was setup for the exhibition. Karin wants everyone to know that even though she will do everything to keep the citizens of Israel safe, she does also have other fascists to her life.
Karin Molcho, IDF Border Police:
Soldiers are also human, just like everyone else… I’m 25, I don’t wear this uniform all the time, I have my own opinions and I like to go out. It’s like, we’re not robots, you know. So it’s a different side of us like what we do on our daily routine, we also create paintings and draw and I also go out and have fun and I also take care of all the citizens of Israel and try to make them safe, to feel safe.
Ron Jacobsohn, JN1 Correspondent:
A panel of professional judges is going to review the various arts pieces at the exhibit and the top five will receive a one-year scholarship to the distinguished Avni Institute of Arts and Design.
For JN1 I am Ron Jacobsohn at Beit Hachayal – The Soldiers Home in Tel-Aviv