Tel Aviv’s Loving Art. Making Art. Festival, a citywide celebration of art sponsored by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, will feature exhibitions, open studios, workshops, and special events, including a showcase of artwork by adults with autism. It will run from November 11-14.
The exhibition Quiet Motivations will display the works of artists on the spectrum from the Kfar Shimon village in the Elah Valley. It will be presented at the Tel Aviv Artists’ Studios as part of the festival’s central exhibition, Restrained Desires.
The works were created by members of Kfar Shimon’s painting workshop under the guidance of artist Nvo Sevori, who has been teaching at the village for more than a decade (full disclosure: my son lives in Kfar Shimon).
Rather than encouraging the artists to conform to conventional styles, Sevori helps each develop a distinctive visual language.
Their paintings often combine geometric patterns, dots, swirls, and abstract designs with recognizable figures and objects, creating striking compositions characterized by vivid colors and recurring personal motifs.
Kfar Shimon’s artwork exhibited at President’s Residence
The Tel Aviv exhibition follows a series of increasingly prominent shows of Kfar Shimon’s artwork, including exhibitions at ArtSpace Tel Aviv in 2024, Tel Aviv University in 2025, and the Jerusalem Theatre in the summer of 2026. Their work has also been exhibited at the President’s Residence.
While the Jerusalem Theatre exhibition, Feelings in Between, featured collaborative paintings created by groups of two to five artists, often working together with little or no verbal communication, Quiet Motivations emphasizes the distinctive visual language each artist has developed over time.
Dr. Batsheva Ida, curator of the Jerusalem Theatre galleries, praised the artists’ remarkable use of color to convey emotion. She also observed that their tendency toward repetition enhances the impact of their work, since viewers are accustomed to seeing repeated images and patterns in art.
Oded Korati, director of Kfar Shimon, said that the artists’ previous exhibitions have demonstrated the power of their work to connect with audiences.
“The works of Kfar Shimon’s painters have been shown in several exhibitions in recent years, and every time it is something of a miracle for us to see the interest and enjoyment of audiences in the way they see and paint the world,” he said.
“Their voice is not loud, but through their art, you can really feel them and the original beauty they bring.”
Festival centerpiece a site-specific exhibition at Hakovshim Park
The centerpiece of this year’s festival, Restrained Desires, is a site-specific exhibition at Hakovshim Park, curated by artist Guy Goldstein. Featuring 27 participating artists, it takes its inspiration from the park’s name and the traditional Jewish concept of restraining one’s impulses.
The works respond to the park’s structures, history, memories, and uses, exploring the tensions in the ways different people coexist in public spaces.
Guided tours will explore the history of the surrounding area, including the Manshiya neighborhood, while children’s art workshops will provide opportunities for hands-on participation.
Beyond the central exhibition, approximately 180 artists will open their studios to the public, joined by 30 galleries and four museums offering special programming and free admission during designated hours.
Among the participating institutions are the Tel Aviv-Yafo City Museum, which will open its annual exhibition, City on Troubled Waters; Felicja Blumental House of Sound Art, presenting Sound/Resistance; and the Liebling Haus, which will unveil an exhibition by Maya Gertzfeld and Roy Zvulun.
The Reuven Rubin Museum will also welcome visitors free of charge, while Public Movement will celebrate its 20th anniversary with an event at the Suzanne Dellal Center.
Additional activities will take place at the city’s five TA Culture centers, including the newly established Masof center near Hakovshim Park, which will host an exhibition combining light, sound, and video installations.
Chen Arieli, Tel Aviv-Yafo City Council member responsible for culture, emphasized that access to art should not depend on financial means or familiarity with the art world.
“To encounter art, you don’t need to know the language, feel that you belong to a particular circle, or be able to pay for a ticket,” she said. “That is what culture as a right means.”
Admission to the exhibitions and many events is free, with additional benefits and guided tours available to DigiTel cardholders.
For the complete program and updated information, visit the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality website: https://bit.ly/4jFkq0Q