Jessica Steinberg covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center.
A work by Israeli photographer Angelica Sher, to be shown at the Mediterranean Biennale, opening April 6, 2021 (Courtesy Angelica Sher)
It has been nearly four years since the last Mediterranean Biennale was held, and organizers of the show have spent the last two of those years on the uphill task of trying to convince artists from Arab countries and elsewhere to overcome their qualms and participate in the Israeli event.
The fourth iteration of the biennale, which opens April 6 and despite its name does not occur every two years due to budget issues, is titled “Living Together Crossing Borders,” and aims to create dialogue and a new network of connections between artists from countries in the region. Organizers had hoped newly normalized ties with some Arab states would help remove qualms for artists skittish about showing their work in Israel, though it did not quite work out that way.