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margarine. This broadening landscape challenged established definitions of art, and a rebellious tone characterises work from the period. Artists had become frustrated by convention, Geva’ s letter to the manager of the Tel Aviv Museum epitomised the feeling of the decade. He wrote,“ this is the opportune moment to part with that institution, with its illusions and academic degrees and definitions of art.”
Geva was always interested in the possibilities for coexistence in Israel. In 1972 he devised‘ The Books in Landscape Experiment.’ It was a multi-fasted work, with a variety of consequences. Primarily, it would seem the project was an attempt to provoke social interaction and harmony between the Arab village, Messer and the Jewish kibbutz, Ein Shemer of which Geva was a resident. For the scheme, Geva collected thousands of second hand books and left them along
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the border of the two communities. The images the experiment produced inspire multiple interpretations. Some critics suggest there is an apocalyptic quality to the imagery; in the baron landscape the discarded books seem to represent an abandoned culture. Though the inverse of this is to consider the books as representative of freely shared knowledge. As Edward Platt suggests, it is,“ a renunciation of the rights of possession and a demonstration of the futility of seeking dominance and control.” Platt also invokes an association with the Nazi regime, which saw so many books destroyed. This redistribution is perhaps a response to such crudeness. Over time the books began to deteriorate, exposed to the elements. Here lies a further dimension to Geva’ s experiment, in that he was interested to emerge books, as symbolic of culture, into the landscape, exposing them |
to natural processes so that they might be truly integrated.
In the early 80’ s Geva renounced his involvement with the art world after continued
disappointment and frustration with its institutions. He returned to his kibbutz, where, in perhaps a more deliberate and focused effort to promote his personal values, he became involved in‘ Ecological Greenhouse.’ It was an educational experiment in which Palestinian and Israeli children were invited to work together in a
self-sustaining biosphere. The project was chosen to represent Israel in the Venice biennale in 1993. Despite Geva’ s rejection of the discipline, the Greenhouse is often discussed in an artistic context. In such a discourse the experiment is an example of
collaborative work which bridges various fields, in order to address the complexities of social phenomena. Geva’ s artistic essence is a crucial factor
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in the work at the Greenhouse. There is openness to the mentality of the project, an inclination to embrace what is possible rather than being limited by established conventions. An approach which can seemingly fins its origins to the attitudes developed in Israeli art on the 1970’ s.
Geva’ s work challenges Creatives to constantly broaden their horizons. To think beyond their own expertise and see the potential of a collaborative project. Art is often considered an autonomous discipline, detached from the social world. Geva confronts this idea, showing that art can be not only engaged with but work as a solution to wider social issues.
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