Karam Natour

It appears that ‘Man’, renowned and acclaimed, is a category within itself, consisting of natural timeless characteristics. Perceiving Man as ‘The First Sex’ determines the norms and standards by which humanity is defined. In recent years, there is an increasing preoccupation with the concept of masculinity and the ongoing changes influenced by social processes, evolutions in feminist field, and the struggle for gender equality. This places the dominant male ethos into a process of dismantlement and reassembling, thus affecting the ideals and stereotypes structuring its hegemonic position in society and culture today.
The exhibition seeks to observe contemporary representations of masculinity as it intersects with other aspects – ethnic, socioeconomic, religious, sexual – of personal and collective identity, while tracing different rituals, models, and patterns of masculinity, especially in its local contexts. Through the unique works of artists from the last two decades, simultaneously touching on masculine myths as well as everyday reality, the exhibition spans a range of intriguing views – parodic, melancholic, intimate, critical – presenting masculinity in its multitude of manifestations, full of contradictions and complexity.


The exhibition was inspired by the research and film project "Masculinities in Israel",

which was initiated, produced and carried out by the Heinrich Boell Foundation, launched at Tel Aviv Cinematheque.
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To view the entire project visit:
https://il.boell.org/en/masculinities-israel
Project lead: Romy Shapira
Research and production: Romy Shapira, Anat Saragusti