Lire cet entretien en français / Read this interview in French
Tenoua — Yam, you recently founded this new online gallery in Israel. What is the story behind the project?
Yam Lahav — The origins of ZUR are rooted in a simple but powerful observation : while the contemporary Israeli art scene is vibrating with raw talent and technical mastery, the global cultural climate has grown increasingly challenging in recent years, with mounting attempts to quiet or distance Israeli creators. ZUR was born out of a desire to create a direct, unmediated bridge between Israel’s finest creators and collectors around the world, ensuring that these contemporary voices, which deserve to be heard globally, remain unsilenced.
Tenoua — Where does the name ZUR come from?
YL — ZUR (צוּר) is the ancient Hebrew name for Tyre, a Phoenician center of legendary craftsmanship. Its artisans possessed such versatile, transcendent skill across stone, metal, and wood that they were chosen to build the Temple in Jerusalem. This historical archetype of the “ultimate craftsman” — one who masters multiple disciplines and embodies their art with devotion — became the founding philosophy of the gallery — a philosophy of total art.
Tenoua — What do you mean by this philosophy of “total art”?
YL — It is a celebration of exceptional craftsmanship and raw intentionality across all mediums, with a focus on contemporary artists who stand at the forefront of the local scene. Within the gallery’s collection, an intricate, labor‐intensive embroidery carries the same narrative weight as a wheel‐thrown ceramic vessel, a raw analog photograph, or a bold contemporary painting. What unites them is a lived‐in authenticity : every piece carries an intimate story of its own.
Tenoua — Why did you choose to create an online gallery rather than a physical space in Tel Aviv, where you live?
YL — My goal is to ensure that the stories and perspectives of these remarkable creators are shared directly with the global community, without filters or barriers. By removing the traditional friction associated with galleries, the platform enables collectors to support leading artists with the click of a button and acquire original works that are shipped directly from the artists’ studios.
Tenoua — What will you be offering Tenoua readers starting this summer?
YL — First and foremost, I hope to introduce readers to remarkable Israeli artists and to the richness of the local art scene. This will take the form of a series of regular features. Through “Meet the Artist,” we will explore the work of contemporary artists — photographers, painters, ceramicists, sculptors, and more — whose work deserves wider recognition. In “The Curator’s Choice,” I will share some of my favorite works, pieces that, to me, capture something essential about the cultural moment we are living through. I would also love to take your readers behind the scenes of the creative processes unfolding in artists’ studios across Israel, and to explore broader, more philosophical questions about the role of art and artists in our troubled world.
