Pictures at an Exhibition

The project is based on Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition”, a tribute born after the passing of the composer’s friend, painter Viktor Hartmann. In this iconic composition, Mussorgsky translated ten of Hartmann’s paintings into musical movements, breathing life into his friend’s artworks by letting the music describe the visuals on the one hand, and the emotions felt on the other.

Now, nine Israeli and international visual artists reverse the original process, allowing Mussorgsky’s music to lead the creation of new works of art. Guided by IPO’s musical director, Lahav Shani, and NU’s co-founder, Steeve Nassima, each artist explored one of the composition’s movements. The resulting artworks highlight various emotional states experienced over the past year, ranging from sorrow, grief, and loss, to hope, optimism, and resilience.

In its first version, the project included four concerts in the Charles Bronfman Auditorium, Tel-Aviv Culture Center, during which the music and artworks came to life in a video animation made especially for this occasion, which was projected behind the orchestra as it played. The works developed in harmony with the music, offering the audience a powerful, evolving narrative that deepened the emotional resonance of the pieces.

In the project’s new interpretation in the Foundation’s space, the artworks are displayed disconnected from the music that generated their creation, freeing them from specific meaning. The last room of the exhibition features several segments from the original animation and music, offering a glimpse into the multi-sensory experience at the heart of the project.

Participating artists: Zio Ziegler, Ori Gersht, Michaela Mor, Lavi Lipshitz, Joel Mesler, Gideon Rubin, Tant (Broken Fingaz), Michal Rovner, Eshchar Hanoch Kliengbiel

Installation Photos: Elad Sarig
Concert Photos: Shlomi Pinto