Shay Zilberman’s work is derived from the place itself: he produced a new glass interpretation of the iron bell in the Museum’s collection. As the 19th century drew to a close a bell was placed in the middle of the Moshava Rishon Le-Zion, but it was stolen from the Founders’ Square in 1960. All efforts to retrieve it, including a public appeal launched by the Rishon Le-Zion municipality and even the hiring of private detectives by the Municipality failed to trace the bell’s location. It was only after more than fifty years during which time the bell was buried under the ground that it was surprisingly returned. After reaching the age of seventy, the thief decided with the help of a mediator to return the bell.
The bell serves as a symbol of freedom, trust, hope or victory, and is presented here as a fragile sound box. Alongside beauty and transparency the bell also embodies the forlorn prospect of self-destruction. A group of anonymous portraits of people who share a common secret are exhibited on the walls. This is an imaginary list of fifty people, whom researchers believe held back information about the missing bell.
Curator: Dana Arieli