Growth – CSP Exhibition at the Central Bus Station

Opening: Saturday, August 17, 7pm The New Central Bus Station, Tel Aviv, 5th Floor, Room 5203

“Tel Aviv’s Central Bus Station is like a stone that’s been tossed into a lake; it will form ripples, which will be felt through the area for a long time to come,” said Ram Carmi, the architect who designed the Central Bus Station during a speech delivered at its inauguration in August, 1993. “In fact” he continued, “a chain reaction is starting here, which could be the beginning of a changing reality in South Tel Aviv and the entire city. Parts of this station will spring forth green branches into the surrounding neighborhoods and generate an urban lifestyle full of living content — or destroy them completely.”

When Carmi described his vision for the future, he used rich metaphors from the world of nature and landscape, such as “a stone tossed into a lake,” or “springing green branches.” The unfathomable difference between this choice of words (and the pretentiousness with which they were delivered) and today’s wanting bus station and surrounding neighborhoods is a painful illustration of the gap between the vision and its realization.

This exhibition comprises proposals for Tel Aviv’s bus station using plants, agriculture, and gardening – with a nod to the concept of economic growth. The proposals seem to capitalize on the potential of the station, but also the problematic transition from vision to realization. The works displayed here focus on the impossible conditions for growing plants in this building, and on the apocalyptic feeling that in turn points to post-disaster life.

Artists: Anat Barel / Sharon Glazberg / Gil Yefman /Shavit Yaron /Natalie Mandel / Pearl Schneider / Robert Ungar Curator: Michal Lazar

Hours: Monday, Thursday: 5 pm-7 pm Friday: 10 am-2 pm