A collaboration between world-renowned Israeli painter and sculptor David Gerstein and former North American, now Israel-based, theatre artist Alana Ruben Free, Presence=Present is a unique meeting of performance, sculpture and architecture.

Performance Art Meets Sculpture to Celebrate Motherhood in Jerusalem Biennale

“Whenever someone becomes fully present for him/herself or another person transformation happens. Two minutes of loving attention on others and ourselves is a powerful daily act. Presence=Present is the culmination of performance work that I began in 2003, as well as scholarship exploring themes of motherhood and art. After being diagnosed with post-partum depression and atypical anorexia after my first child, I became proudly preoccupied with the question of how one comes to honestly love and nurture one’s self and others. All of my work builds upon over a decade of intense study of Jewish classical texts. I am indebted to David Gerstein and Burak Pekoğlu for their artistic integrity and belief in me throughout this powerful collaboration between sculpture, architecture, and theatre. I will share this participatory process 67 times- the gamatria of Bina-each time affirming love, trust, respect and appreciation as the basis of healthy relationships.”