Yael Bartana
born in 1970 in Kfar Yehezkel, Israel; lives in Tel Aviv, Israel and Berlin, Germany
Herzl (III), 2016
Fine Art Print
60 × 40 cm (framed)
Acquisition evn collection 2017
Inv. No. 0317
In her multi-part series “Herzl”, Yael Bartana engages with the life of Theodor Herzl (1860–1904), author, journalist, politician, and lawyer. Born in Pest (now Budapest), Herzl is regarded as one of the most influential political figures of the 19th century. He served as a correspondent for the Neue Freie Presse in Paris, lived in Vienna for many years, and spent his vacations in the Salzkammergut region. He died 1904 in Edlach an der Rax, Lower Austria. His political vision and drive were dedicated to the Zionist movement and the founding of the State of Israel. Through her engagement with this historical figure, the artist Yael Bartana raises questions about identity, power, and cultural memory. Her photographs are composed of archetypal elements—including clichés and stereotypical roles—and explore the deconstruction of political myths. In doing so, the artist herself presents in a statesmanlike pose in a classical portrait format. Bartana’s works operate in the space between reality and fiction, between personal appropriation and social critique. In reality, Herzl himself was never a statesman, nor an official representative of a government. Viewers are invited to reconsider the boundaries between history and the present. “My role as an artist is to open up the imagination in order to rethink history and the future.” (Yael Bartana, Der Standard, 5.12.2012)continue reading
Text: Heike Maier-Rieper, 2025
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)