Steidl Histoires / Histories

Israeli multimedia artist Michal Rovner explores the themes of archaeology, memory and territory with an oeuvre that is deeply influenced by the socio-political conflicts in the Middle East. For her exhibition “Histories” she has created three site-specific works to be exhibited in three parts of the Louvre – those dedicated to Syra, Jordan, and Palestine. Rovner projects her videos directly onto the walls and the artifacts on display adding her own layer to the histories being presented in the museum. Makkom II and Makkom IV are two houses built by a joint team of Israeli and Palestinian workers and constructed from stones taken from Golan Heights in Palestine – a location at the heart of the political struggle between the two countries. They stand in the main court of the Louvre next to its iconic glass pyramid – itself an ancient symbol of power – sparking a dialogue between the three constructions; how their meanings are derived ultimately through the hands of the workers who built them. With her politically committed, sensitive and meditative work, which she describes as “a collage of different times, different stories, different biographies”; Rovner abolishes the borders between periods and cultures. Michal Rovner, born 1957 in Tel Aviv, is an internationally acclaimed artist who was chosen to represent her country, Israel, at the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003. More than fifty solo exhibitions of her work have been organized worldwide, including an important mid-career retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York in 2002. In 2010, Rovner was honored with France’s prestigious Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. She lives in Israel and the United States.