“Him too..??”
Oz Almog’s Concise Index Judaeorum
– A Chronicle of a Cultural Obsession

10th March - 30th April 2003

The sound of genuine surprise in Almog’s title Him too..?? is one that is often echoed in social conversations and one which references the use of the Jewish face as a subject for racist, anthropological and general prejudice. Yet Almog’s colourful index of Jews shows the opposite of the racist image; it celebrates and emphasises the diversity. This project, a selection of which the Ben Uri Gallery is presenting, shows that the Jew has no one face- but actually has many, and seeks to encourage interest in Jewish culture and history. 

Seen as a whole the 100 portraits form an artistic installation, a homage to his heritage by an artist intent on establishing his own cultural network. This mosaic of personalities forms a bizarre world Isaiah Berlin concept that traces the trails and errors of human ambition as well as celebrating success and achievement. The personalities portrayed were selected by Oz Almog from a cross section of social strata: European 20th Century artists, musicians and writers; representatives of science and research as well as Nobel Prize winners; biblical, mythical and heroic figures and personalities; politicians and soldiers; entertainers; saints, freaks, gangsters and mass murderers. Presented according to categories but in alphabetical order, the viewer encounters flamboyant heroes and anti-heroes whose one common denominator is their Jewish background. Nuclear scientist Albert Einstein rubs shoulders with fashion designer Ralph Lauren, sex symbol Hedy Lamarr with the writer Franz Kafka, actress Winona Ryder with Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, film director Stanley Kubrick with gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, mafia boss Meyer Lansky with rock musician Lenny Kravitz. There are also numerous local celebrities such as the rock musician Marc Bolan, film director and producer Sir Alexander Korda, politician Benjamin Disraeli and many more. 

The Israeli-Austrian artist Oz Almog has undertaken a number of projects in which he uses his art and intellect to scrutinise particular social phenomena and portray the impact of historical events. Among these are Armchair Assassination (symbolic execution of anti-Semitic writers, 1988), Hear O Israel (Jewish mysticism, 1989), Birth of a Myth (evolution of a personality cult, 1994), Shaheed (bus bomb attack in Israel, 1997) and Viennese en face – Portraits of Careers (prominent Viennese personalities, 2000).

The work, first shown at the Jewish Museum Vienna in 1999 represents the Ben Uri Gallery’s ongoing cooperation with the whole network of European Jewish Museums and seeks to bring a new dimension to the London art scene. The Ben Uri Gallery is delighted once more to work with a European partner; the first collaboration was in June 2002 with the Jewish Museum in Frankfurt for the Ludwig and Else Meidner exhibition.

Gallery Talk with Oz Almog 
Tuesday, March 11, 2003, 6pm

This exhibition is taking place as part of the Jewish Arts Festival and with the support of the Israeli Embassy in London.

For information about the exhibition at The Jewish Museum Vienna visit www.jmw.at