Ofer Grunwald
Ofer Grunwald (b. 1980, living and working in Bologna, Italy) is a multidisciplinary artist, working mainly in mixed-media installation and figurative sculpture. His work is informed by his background as a world-leading bonsai artist, and driven by a fascination with processes (whether personal, social, cultural, technical, or artistic) and the tension between the continuous and the ephemeral.
Ofer has developed a unique cross-disciplinary practice exploring non-solid materials. His work emanates from various deeply-ingrained traditions that have served as a formative backdrop for him, personally. These can be cultural traditions, religious traditions, artistic traditions, etc. His work tends to turn a critical, but ultimately compassionate eye on these traditions. By rendering them contemporary and dynamic, Ofer highlights the dissonance between tradition as a static object, and the dynamics of the society that practices that tradition.
Ofer has exhibited internationally, built a temporary public installation in Canberra, Australia commissioned during an artist residency at the Australian National University's School of Art and Design, was a recipient of the Israel Ministry of Culture's 2019 grant for emerging independent artists, was among the official preselections for the European Museum of Modern Art's prestigious Figurativas Award in both 2021 and 2023, and a finalist for the prestigious Falling Walls Breakthrough Award in Art and Science for 2023.
Solo exhibitions:
2021 - My Mother's Country, Architects’ House Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
2021 - Internet of Things, Barbur Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel
2018 - Inundation, Art Not Apart, Canberra, Australia
2018 - Heterotopium, National Arboretum Canberra, Australia
2017 - Vessels, Jerusalem Biennale, Israel
Group exhibitions:
2023 - Figurativas 2023, Museo Europeo de Arte Moderno, Barcelona, Spain
2023 - Like There's No Tomorrow, Tel Aviv, Israel
2022 - FACE 2022, London, England
2022 - NordArt 2022, Kunstwerke Carlshutte, Budelsdorf, Germany
2021 - Figurativas 2021, Museo Europeo de Arte Moderno, Barcelona, Span
2021 - State of Repair, Vacant Museum (online exhibition)
2020 - Walking Museum fundraising exhibition in Knokke, Belgium
2020 - The (New) Dictionary of Things, London Festival of Architecture, UK
2019 - Hamekarer 2019, Hamekarer, Tel Aviv, Israel
2019 - In the East, Cymbalista Jewish Heritage Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
2018 - Hybrid Botany, Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Center, Tel Aviv,
Israel
2016 - Disconnected Medium , Hassid Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel
Grants and Awards:
2023 - Falling Walls Breakthrough Award finalist
2022 - Tiroche Unfold emerging artist auction
2020 - CultuurGent grant, Belgium
2019 - Independent Artist Fund Grant, Ministry of Culture, Israel
2018 - Canberra Ministry of Culture Grant, Canberra, Australia
Residencies:
2022 - LUCA School of Arts, guest teacher, Gent, Belgium
2018 - Australia National University School of Art and Design Visiting Artist
Residency, Canberra, Australia