Addam Yekutieli is an artist from Tel Aviv. His giant banner installation at Nuart Aberdeen, A Silent Demonstration, is an invitation to stop and reflect. It’s an artwork that uses simple words to give voice to our own thoughts and ideas.
Hand Painted Banners
Yekutieli’s installation features large, hand-painted banners with words that come from real people. These words were taken from stories about personal experiences of hope and disillusionment. The artist asked people to write two short pieces. One about a time they felt disillusioned or disappointed and another about hope. Yekutieli then picked out phrases from these stories and turned them into hand painted banners. Eventually then hanging them on an old hospital site in Aberdeen.
Interview with Addam Yekutieli
A Silent Demonstration
The banners are designed as a “silent demonstration” he said. Instead of shouting out messages or demands, the words invite quiet reflection. Using the concept of the banners, which are often used in protests. The artist gives a voice to many different people. It’s a peaceful protest of sorts, one that doesn’t demand attention but still asks people to think.
The Old Hospital
The art is displayed in the beautiful, old Woolmanhill Hospital building in Aberdeen. Addam says the building’s size and history are important because they add something special to the artwork. The building itself is a part of the story. Providing a strong background for the banners to shine against. A heritage site it is a grand granite building. It meant that a lot of consideration needed to be given to the install.
Personal Connection
Reflecting on the final piece Yekutieli says that he felt a personal connection to his work. Using it as a lens to reflect on the ongoing conflict in his home area. While the words on the banners aren’t specifically about Palestine. He says that he can’t help but see the connection between the words of Aberdonians and what’s happening in Gaza.
Personal Stories
One of Yekutieli’s favourite things to explore in his art is how the meaning of words change. Especially when they are taken out of their original context. Using personal, intimate stories and placing them in a public space. Yekutieli turns those individual experiences into something bigger and more universal. The words, originally personal, now speak to a wider audience. Allowing people to find their own connections to the messages.
Process
The artist’s process is about rethinking how we see things. He’s interested in how small, personal moments can become part of something much larger when shared with others. In this installation, what was once private becomes public. People are able to see themselves in the words of others. The meaning of the banners change depending on who is reading them and what they bring to the experience.
No Right Way
The beauty of Yekutieli’s installation is that there is no one “right” way to experience it. The work is full of words, so it can take people to many different emotional places. Some will find comfort in the words of hope, while others will connect with the feelings of disillusionment. The artist hopes that people will reflect on their own lives as they read the banners. Finding meaning in ways that are personal to them.
Public Space
Because it’s displayed in a public space, the artwork is intended to become a part of everyday life. It’s not something people just walk by and forget. Over time, as people pass by the installation, they are likely to notice new things and make new connections. The more you look at it, the more you’ll discover. Yet, at the same time, this work is also transitionary. These are banners and not meant to last.
Public Art and Its Power
Yekutieli says that working in public spaces has been a big change for him as an artist. In a gallery, people go there specifically to see art, but in public, art is part of everyone’s day. The artist sees public art as a way to change how people think about their surroundings. When we encounter art in the streets, it helps us pay more attention to the world we live in.
For Yekutieli, the public space allows his art to become a tool for people to think about their own lives and the world around them. His work asks us to consider what’s happening in the world and how we can all relate to each other’s experiences.
Addam Yekutieli’s installation was part of the 2024 Nuart Aberdeen festival in June 2024.The event celebrates public art and brings artists from all over the world to create art in the city. It is the eighth time the festival has been held in the city. Addam was interviewed during the festival and this article is based on that interview.
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