November 1st – 27th 

Lotan Gallery, Mazal Arieh St 19, Tel Aviv-Yafo

₽ü$$¥ – New Collection

An exhibition dedicated to the celebration of the female genitalia, will open from November 1st – 27th at the Lotan Gallery, Mazal Arieh St 19, Tel Aviv-Yafo.  

After the sweeping success of Erez Gabay’s and Debi Oulu’s previous ₽ü$$¥ exhibition two years ago, they are back with completely new pieces and a promise to provide a sensual experience involving all your senses.

Both Gabay and Oulu are interactive artists who have dedicated the past five years almost solely to the creation of vulva art. 

Gabay’s collection takes its inspiration from haute couture as he sculptures his pieces with designer materials into art full of colors and mixed materials. Each piece has a story behind it.  Oulu’s collection shows her depth and fluency in different materials as she creates dramatically beautiful sculptures exposing women at their strongest and most vulnerable place out of porcelain, resin and even chocolate – each piece evoking strong emotions.

Not only is this pair of artists displaying for the first time their new collections, they also promise the visitor an immersive experience involving all the senses. Both artists will be at the gallery to lead you through the space.  Without spoiling the surprise, the whole experience will leave you with many thoughts and feelings regarding our relationship to our bodies and others. 

“We both want to celebrate the beauty of our existence and to stop hiding behind taboos.  The fact is that together Erez and I make the perfect team for creating an experience not to be forgotten”, says Debi Oulu. Oulu has been creating art and producing exhibitions for the past ten years.  Gabay, who is currently living in Germany, has been enjoying much success with his “Piece of Vulva” art over the past few years.

“₽ü$$¥ – New Collection”

Debi Oulu & Erez Gabay

November 1st – 27th 

Lotan Gallery, Mazal Arieh St 19, Tel Aviv-Yafo

Telephone: 0544633252, 0508565317

Open daily from 15:00 – 22:00 recommended to call before hand

Entrance fee: 50 NIS (includes meeting the artists and a  gift)

Instagram: @Piece_of_Vulva

Instagram & Facebook:: @DebiOulu

Treasurea Art Hunt -Talking Vaginas-Midburn Art-

Rejuvination – A community based art project was conducted with residents of a senior citizen home . The project was created in order to fill a need for change, excitement, and connection among the residents (after meeting with some of the residents this was their requests).

How I create these abstract inner portraits:

Examples:

It is very clear now that humans’ worst enemies are ourselves. If we do not change the balance of power in this world, and with it a more hollistic view of our planet, we will literally self-destruct, wether it be by climat change, war, plague or AI. The planet will survive, we will not.

I believe that for thousands of years there has been an imbalance of power between our male and female species which has led us to where we are today; a world filled with amazing possibilities through science and technology, yet without the broad, long term vision to lead our society into a better future of creation and not destruction.

This is where women need to step up and do what we do best – facilitate the functioning of our society for the betterment of all humankind. To see the wide perspective and long-term profit of changes. During the recent 2020 pandemic we have seen how women leaders have been far superior in leading countries in times of crises than the old dinosaur power mogul leaders of the past.

Yet women do not yet realize this power that we have. We have been suppressed for so many centuries, that very few of us know how to tap into that endless root power. I am not “blaming” anyone here, merely stating a fact. Now is the time for us to evolve further and to heal ourselves from our mothers, and grandmothers’ traumas of the past and to realize our potential. How can we do this?

I believe that one of the ways we can begin our healing is to take the taboo out of our sexuality. To reconnect to a part of our body that has been shamed for so long. To listen to her, to be gided by her. To understand more what her connection is to the rest of our body. What is the purpose of our orgasms? how can we not feel shame when talking about our vulvas?

My art is all about freeing up the taboo around even talking about this. In humorous, interactive, participatory projects I want to change this as much as I can. I want the discussion to be a common topic around the coffee table. I want men and women to see how this topic touches them, wherever they are on their journey towards healing our planet and humankind.

And that is it for my Miss America speech on how I want to save the world – what do you think?

Ever have a dream about to come true, and then have it crushed through bureaucracy?

Mid-burn is the one venue in Israel that actively supports large scale interactive art, where the only basis for acceptance is a good idea and willingness to work hard to see it come through. They even fund up to 50% of the costs!

Last year was the first festival of its kind … with 40 art installations.  This year?  There are 68 art installations (and I’m not even counting the hundreds of performance art, music, fashion art, and theme camps that abounds) … truly the largest expression of art (with no censorship) in the Middle East.

For months people have been volunteering and working non-stop to see their dreams come true. I personally have had a dream for over four years… to build a human climbing wall.  I wanted people to experience what it must feel like to climb to the top by having to dig your hands and feet into the orifices’ of human body parts.  This year, it was going to come true.

I was faced with many challenges….. I presented my Idea months ago in front of other artists, and collaborated with three other amazing people to create a 3 meter high pyramid shaped climbing wall.  We divided and conquered… each artist doing what they do best … building, sculpting, painting.  Together we made a piece of art that none of us could have imagined doing alone.

The wall is currently on the ground in the desert waiting for permission to be set up…… so close to fulfilling my dream….. Yet so far……

This is my personal story …. Now multiply that times 6,000 people all expressing themselves in some sort of art form.

If this art festival is cancelled, I doubt it will be able to continue again, millions of shekels have already been spent, and will be lost.

I know many people just think this is another festival where people party in the desert…. But it is not… it is so much more.  It is the taste of true freedom of expression, which the bureaucracy in this country seems to choke out of us at every opportunity.

I hope by some sort of miracle, the bureaucracy can be solved in the next 24 hours…….

ENGLISH TRANSLATION: (unedited)  of reason Mid-burn is cancelled for the moment. 

Dear friends, 
Our community is going through complicated days, days that will impact the event and the road ahead. 
As we began detailing in our last post, we would like to be transparent about what is unfolding. 

Knowing that Midburn is an immense project that thousands of people have been working on for a long while, has been a guiding force to us, throughout this journey. 
A community that wants to come together, express itself and create art at the heart of the desert. 
6000 people. 400 participants from abroad. 
68 art installations that community members have been working on for months.
87 theme camps that have been in the works for months. And an enormous body of volunteers that has been working relentlessly around the clock. 

Midburn 2014, with approximately 3000 participants has been declared a success not only for the amount of art it had featured, but also for its security performance. The event has concluded with ZERO (!) reported police events.

With that record, we began the permit process with Israel Police, in accordance with all procedures. 
Over a month ago we have submitted an appeal to the permit criteria Israel Police has required of us. 
Several discussions with Police have been taking place in different forums, and the more we have been asking for detailed explanation for the requirements, the more these requirements have been escalating in their strictness without a satisfactory explanation from the Police. 
From that moment onwards, all our request for additional meeting have been flatly refused. 
On Wednesday the Police had formally announced they do not permit the event. 
On that very day we hired the services of a lawyer who specializes in such cases. 
The next day we have received a stop-work order. At this moment, hundreds of volunteers working to build and create infrastructure, art installations, theme camps, health clinic, center camp and more– came to a standstill. 
At the same time- we have submitted an urgent motion to the district court for an executive order in a rush ex-parte proceeding (*=with only one side attending). In addition, a second motion have been submitted to the magistrate court to annul the stop-work order. 
This evening (Saturday) we will submit another motion for a rush proceeding of the stop-work order, in the presence of both parties, in order to ensure the case will be processed tomorrow (Sunday) morning.

As a community that upholds “civic responsibility” as a guiding principle, we respect the law. We are hopeful that things will change following the court case tomorrow morning, but as of now the city is closed. Theme camps, artists, community members, we ask you not to arrive at this time. Please cooperate. 

We find that concession is achievable and likely, through a conciliatory dialogue and kind attention, and therefore we are looking for a direct communication channel with the Negev division commander and his deputy, whom have been refusing to meet with us since the process has begun. 

We are utterly hopeful that things will be resolved over the next couple of days.
If you believe you can help, if you have a way in which you can impact- please email us at gomidburn@gmail.com

We are starting Midburn now. The way home is not easy, nor is it smooth, but if we all harness ourselves and go together, we will get there. 
Below is a video of a few words given last night by the CEO of the Midburn organization and the man running its entire production.

It was Surrealistic. Art in motion.  Following the colorful dancers/actors/singers through the various floors of the Station as the performance unfolded, ending in a deserted wedding hall in the basement and dancing in what can only be described as a scene from a Bellini film.   It was beautiful and magical.  Thank you Mystorin for the experience.

If interested in their next performance, check out their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mystorin  Website: http://www.mystorin.com/

Since returning from the dusty playa 4 days ago, I have been trying to figure out what exactly happened to me there.  The words “Euphoria”, and “Life changing” and “Can’t wait for next year” keep going through my head, yet these words seem so general and almost cliche after reading so many other posts. So I have been trying to search deeper into what made this event so extraordinary for me.

I am a 49 year old, cynical, critical, and boundary pushing person.  I am a full time artist, mother and wife.  My life is very good just the way it is – no big problems to solve, or heavy baggage to take care of.  I have lived and experienced many things in my lifetime – sexual, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual.  I have enough weird and exciting stories that I could tell you for days on end.   So what is so special about the Midburn that it has left its mark as surely as if it were branded onto my cheek (not talking about my face cheek either).

After much reflection and talking with my friends, family and life partner, I think I know what was so special for me about Midburn.

It was the radical freedom of self expression.  For the first time in my life, not only did I act and speak the way I wanted to – with no filters, but people I met accepted me and loved me for it.  It was a super huge ego booster – in a very good way.

I think the “ego” has gotten a bad reputation in our modern language.  We are told to control our ego, to suppress it, that it is bad in some way.  I think we might be missing something here.

Definition of Ego

noun

1. a person’s sense of self-esteem or self-importance.

• PSYCHOANALYSIS

the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity.

• PHILOSOPHY

(in metaphysics) a conscious thinking subject.

Using this definition of ego, I choose to celebrate my ego. To acknowledge not only its existence but its basic essential need to survive if I am to survive as well.

There were many ego boosters – the kind you get when you work hard, and the work is appreciated.

-Every time a bloody mary was pored through the Virgin Mary dispenser at our camp bar – I felt an ego boost.

When people ate and enjoyed the chili I made for dinner, I got a boost to my ego.

For every joke I made that caused someone else to laugh, my ego was inflated a bit more.

Every time I sprayed someone with my water mister and they sighed in pleasure I got a boost to my ego.

I got a huge ego boost when my body was appreciated for what it was, and admired, and not judged by ridiculous model standards.

I got a huge ego boost when people told me of the gifts they got from the sharing tree, and the gifts they hung on the tree.

I got a huge ego boost when I heard of the policemen first taking a gift from the tree, and the following day, placing a gift on the tree.

I got a huge ego boost every time I cursed at some “hippy” that walked into our Shit Hole camp and then invited him/her to sit next to me in our salon.

I got a huge ego boost every time someone hugged me, and I learned to really hug them back, and to melt into the hug instead of counting the seconds before I can break away.

And mostly I got the hugest ego boost by all the unbelievably smart, funny, kind, and truly insperational people I connected with and vice versa.

I feel this list could go on and on and on…… but as you see my ego balloon is already super duper inflated.   And I think when it is inflated in this way; it is a good thing, a special thing – a thing to cherish.

“אם אין אני לי, מי לי? וכשאני לעצמי, מה אני? ואם לא עכשיו, אימתי?

Thank you burning man for teaching me that one is never too old to wear a tutu.

http://www.facebook.com/mathtlv

מתמגנטים על תל אביב עברית למתה

Over 200 original art works by over 30 artists will be given away for free in an Urban Scavenger Hunt to take place on Friday March 21^st in Tel Aviv, Israel  at 12:00 noon.

“Everyone should be able to own and enjoy Art – not just the wealthy” –Says Matti Ale, founder of the “Magnetic Art Treasure Hunt” project. “

Apparently over 40 Israeli and International artists agree with him. When asked why they are willing to give their artwork away for free, one of the artists, Debi Oulu, answered: “ I like the thought that my art can be enjoyed by everyone and not only the wealthy collectors.” By the way, Andy Warhol was also known to give his art away for free.

In order for it not to be just a free give-away, the artists, who are creating their work on recycled magnets, will the hiding them in the streets of Tel Aviv in a fun filled Urban Treasure Hunt. At 12:00 noon, the exact streets and clues will be posted using the social networks of Facebook, Instagram, and a new App called “Cheers”.

At 14:00, everyone is invited to an After Party with the artists at one of the coolest bars in town just opened by the group Ze Ze – a social organization enabling people to create projects together.

Sound like fun?  For more information “like” them on http://www.facebook.com/mathtlv or Instagram:  #mathtlv

Partial list of Participating Artists:

ARC D.L.P, ID, Morel Weiss Naco‎‏‏ , Dakoolkids,  Kalia Pissarro, Mr leaf, Marian Boo, spinswell ,Baby Ké‎‏‏ ,  Hagar Ben Yishay, DIOZ, Debi Oulu, Adi Sened, Natelie Mandel, Bosem Harel, Yifat Raz, Ori Gami, Iris Ben Arush, Zahavit Carmel, Faluga,  Rinat Schnadower, Noah Zark, Mooz Mind, Galit Shiri, Amir Tomashov, Art BelkindScheps Osnat, Tzvika Afor Hazakan, Mooz, Ferber,  ‏‏‎ Meital Bar Natan‎‏‏, Karen Segal, Yoni Danzinger

Organized by: Kalia Pissarro, Debi Oulu, Mati Ale, Imaginary Duck,

—————————–

מתמגנטים על תל אביב

אמנות ממוגנטת – “חפש את המטמון”

למעלה ממאה וחמישים יצירות אמנות מקוריות של כשלושים אמנים שונים יחולקו חינם במסגרת המשחק “חפש את המטמון” שיתקיים ב – 21 במרץ בשעה 12:00 ברחובות תל-אביב.

“לכל אחד מאיתנו, ולא רק לעשירים, יש את הזכות להיות בעל יצירת אמנות מקורית”, אומר מתי,  יזם פרוייקט “חפש את המטמון – אמנות במגנטים”.

ואכן למעלה משלושים אמנים ישראלים ובינלאומיים הסכימו לשתף פעולה. כשנשאלו מדוע הם מוכנים לתת את היצירות שלהם חינם, ללא תמורה, אחת מהם, אמנית בשם דבי אולו ענתה: “אני אוהבת את המחשבה שכל אדם יכול להנות מהאמנות שלי ולא רק האספנים”. דרך אגב, אנדי ווראהול היה ידוע בכך שהיה מחלק עבודות חינם אין כסף.

ובכל זאת, כדי שזה לא יהיה פשוט כל כך, האמנים, שיצרו את העבודות על מגנטים ממוחזרים, יחביאו אותם ברחובות תל אביב באחת מהשדרות. רמזים בקשר למיקום היצירות יפורסמו, בפייסבוק, אינסטרגם, ובאפליקציה בשם “Cheers”.

ובאותו יום, בשעה 14:00 כולם יוזמנו למסיבת ‘אפטר’ צבעונית יחד עם האמנים המשתתפים בפרוייקט. המסיבה תתקיים בנחלת בנימין 18- ארגון ZEZE בביתו החדש ״הנסיך״

נשמע לכם כייף? ליותר מידע תלייקלקו אותם ב –

www.facebook.com/mathtlv or Instagram:  #mathtlv

אמנים המשתתפים:

עדי סנד, נטלי מנדל, בושם הראל, יפעה רז, אורי גאמי, איריס בן-ארוש, זהבית כרמל, דיוס, קרן סגל, יוני דנציגר,  דבי אולו, נח זארק, פלוג’ה, קליה פיסארו, מריאן בו, פיקסל נינג’ה, מוז מיינד, רינת שיינדובר, גלית שירי, אמיר טומשוב, מיטב בר נתן

ARC D.L.P, Morel Weiss Naco , Dakoolkids, Baby Ké,    Bettina Tita, Zagny OD‎‏‏, Synchronous ink,  spinswell, Mr Leaf,  , Osnat BelkindScheps, Tzvika Afor Hazakan Ferber

צוות הפקה: אימגינרי דאק, קליה פיסרו, דבי אולו, מתי עלה

איש קשר: דבי אולו 054-4633252 ומתי עלה 052-2348219

 http://www.facebook.com/mathtlv

I tried to find excuses why I should just stay home, but when I saw their promo, I realized that I HAD to go see this show.

It was the most multi-sensory experience I have ever had at a performance of any kind.  It combined: Dance, Sound, use of 3D space, costume, set, props, complex technical uses, lights, Story, Text, Interactive performance – and the final result was that every number was like an amazing huge modern day Dante Inferno painting  – yet moving and involving all your senses!

The Story – I felt I was inside the subconscious brain of a person other than me.  It was a trip in every sense of the word!

My first thought after the show was – I need to see it again – from a different point of view.  I sat where I could see wonderfully the whole show – it was amazing – but next time, (If I every have the opportunity to see them again), I will be standing in the front!

I would like to personally thank the entire crew of Hombre Vertiente – an amazing collaboration of different talents!

Opening of New Exhibition I am participating in.  March 5, 2014 – Hasharone South Cultural Center.

לומדות בקפה איך משקה כל כך ממריץ מרגיע אותנו הנשים?

אוצרת התערוכה הגב’ איה ברנהרד רבסקי.

תערוכה הפותחת את אירועי יום האישה בדרום השרון

יום רביעי ה- 5.3.14 בשעה 20:00
בבניין המועצה ובבניין היכל התרבות.
בתערוכה ניתן להתרשם מיצירותיהן של נשות המועצה ואמניות אורחות אשר פיסלו, צילמו וציירו כל אחת את כוס הקפה שלה
.
בין האמנים: שירה בהט, אבי רוטברט, עיניה שוב, קארין זינגר, דליה רונן, דורית רוף,
בתיה מגל, כלנית קין, יעל חננאל, דבי אולו, דבורה סיון, קרן תשבי, אתי גיאת ירימהו, גליה וויס, עידית רוזנבלום, איריס רפפורט, איטה אבידן, אלה שטיינהרדט, מרים חן, עדנה רענן, אורנה רב-הון, רננה בכר, סיגל מגן, תמי אלקון לורברבוים, ניצה תשר, יעל ירקוני, אתי יניב,
עליזה פלורנטל, ורד לוי אונגר, יהודית יהלום, יפעה רז, כרמל כפיר, ליזי ליבר, ציפי לוסטינג, נעמי דלג’ו, אסנת הרועה-פאר, טלי שימר, איריס שביט, מירי רוכמן ועוד.
בחודש האחרון התקיימו סדנאות ביישובים: ניר אליהן, מתן, גבעת חן, כפר סירקין,
נווה ירק וירקונה ואת תוצריהן של הנשים ניתן לראות בתערוכה.
התערוכה תתקיים בין התאריכים: 5/3-24/4/2014

מצפות לכן, בנות מחלקת תרבות והיועצת למעמד האישה.