VIDEOBRASIL IN THE MENA - Aya Eliav
In many of her works, painter and performer Aya Eliav, from Israel, tackles issues relating to the body and borders. Yet, in her two appearances on Videobrasil she showed works criticizing artistic representation and interpersonal relationships mediated by the new technologies. Art Idol, a performance in partnership with her fellow countryman Ofir Feldman, presented in the 17th edition of the Festival, is a spoof of reality shows along the lines of American Idol. It also is a reflection on the relevance of performance within the context of the art system, and a critical take on this very system. In Art Idol, at a fictitious TV show broadcast live, with an audience and a panel of judges, Eliav and Feldman restage AAA AAA, by Marina Abramovic and Ulay (1978); Open my Glade (Flatten), by Pipilotti Rist (2000); Le Baiser de L'Artiste, de Orlan (1977) and Cut Piece, by Yoko Ono (1965).
At the latest edition of the Festival, Eliav also featured in the competitive show with her intimate The Day You Arrived to Buenos Aires – this time in partnership with Argentina’s Iván Marino. In this video piece, everyday footage and conversations over Skype help tell the story of the couple’s day-to-day as they await their first child.
Last year, Eliav’s work was shown at London’s The Barbican Institute and at the Haifa Museum of Art in Israel. She also featured in the 4th Beijing Contemporary Art Biennial (2010). She lives and works out of Tel Aviv, Israel.