Full Breakdown
“As Humankind”: Art Responds to the Third Anniversary of the October 7 Massacre
By Drooid · · How we work
Exhibition Overview
The Bible Lands Museum’s garden in Jerusalem opened to the public on September 24, 2026 with “As Humankind,” an exhibition that brings together six artists to reflect on life, death and humanity after the October 7 massacre. Curated by Yael Boverman-Attas, the show occupies the museum’s garden and its surrounding spaces, turning the site into a living memorial.
Background & Context
The project originated from an open call for the Jerusalem Biennale. While the Israel-Hamas war was ongoing, Dr. The call attracted a group of creators who had been unable to work in the weeks after the massacre.
Key Figures
- Yael Boverman-Attas – artist, designer, curator and researcher; conceived and organized the exhibition.
- Galit Shvo – artist; created folded-iron “trees” that reference branching algorithms and nuclear chain reactions.
- Sharon Pazner – Tel Aviv-based artist and trained architect; built “Four Rooms,” a ruin assembled from the wreckage of her own studio.
- Eva Avidar – sculptor; presented a figure straining toward an apple, a work originally made a decade ago.
- Gabriel Klasmer – abstract painter; fashioned a figurative sculpture from compressed shopping bags.
- Max Epstein – artist; exhibited “Roadside,” a portrait of a suffering man that draws on the ancient Greek herm.
Official Statements & Responses
Levitt emphasized that the garden’s revival “brought life back” to the museum during a period of national mourning. The participating artists described their pieces as attempts to make art “relevant” after the trauma, noting that creating again was essential to reclaiming their voices.
Data & Statistics
- Six artists contributed works to the exhibition.
- The show opened to visitors on September 24, 2026.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It's a process that started four years ago, in all kinds of sketches, and my interest in bifurcation and splitting,” — Galit Shvo
- “It really took me a lot of time to find myself again in this horrible situation and start working,” — Galit Shvo
- “I wanted to feel this extreme pleasure of sweetness in the mouth,” — Eva Avidar
- “I felt that she's really talking about the war, about how we all ache, how we all feel the pain and how we are all trying to achieve the fruit of Eden,” — Yael Boverman-Attas
- “Living especially in Israel, you accumulate lots of plastic bags very quickly from all the shops,” — Gabriel Klasmer
Why It Matters
“As Humankind” illustrates how Israeli artists are processing collective trauma through metaphor and material. By framing the aftermath of the October 7 massacre in terms of trees, ruins, and reclaimed objects, the exhibition offers a cultural pathway to acknowledge loss while articulating a desire for renewal. The work underscores the role of art in confronting painful history and fostering a dialogue about resilience and hope.