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THE BEGINNING
On the road to Haifa lies Ein Hod, an artists' village on
a hill, at the foot of Mount Carmel overlooking the Mediterranean
coast, the town of Atlit, and an ancient 12th century crusader
fortress. After the War of Independence the area was abandoned
and left in ruin. In the fifties, a group of artists led
by the acclaimed Dada artist Marcel Janco decided that Ein
Hod would be a place where they could work, build studios
and workshops, and form a creative environment for art and
art education. The founders' dream ran into the harsh reality
of those days.
By perseverance and vision gradually transformed Ein Hod
into the only artists' village in Israel, one of the few
in the world, where artists live and create in every artistic
media from the visual arts, to theater, music and literature.
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| Marcel
Janco, Ein Hod 1950's |
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The
attitude, structure and even the population of the village
has changed with the passing of the years, but its basic
principles have been guarded with admirable zeal. The diversity
of its inhabitants and the clear difference between the
original founders and the new generation create an unusual
yet fascinating social fabric. Young and old try to follow
the general principles of reciprocity and form a culture
based on sharing.
Communal life is managed by a General Council - the ruling
body - and by a biyearly elected administrative committee.
The village has a wide range of cultural resources. The
Ein Hod Art Gallery, the Janco-Dada Museum and the Artists'
House, artists' studios and galleries are supplemented by
a variety of exhibitions and artistic activity throughout
the village. The Gertrude Krause House sponsors biweekly
chamber music concerts and guest lectures. During the summer
months performances of popular music and light entertainment
take place in the Roman style outdoor amphitheater.
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To
complete the setting, restaurants and coffee houses in the
center of the village serve as places for social gathering
and merriment. The Ein Hod Art Gallery exhibits artwork
of all the member artists living in the village who have
been approved by the local jury.
Painting and sculpture, ranging from contemporary to early
Israeli artists, share space with the various craft media.
Works on paper, photography, ceramics, gold and silver jewelry,
glass and metal design objects make the gallery one of the
largest collections of Israeli art in the country. One can
find works by the first generation (works of historical
value) hanging alongside young contemporary artists, only
recently accepted into the village. Ein Hod is characterized
by the special setting of a village sitting on a hillside,
surrounded by olive groves, with a view of the Mediterranean
Sea, where baroque sunsets end each day. Despite lack of
funds and development resources, the village has managed
to preserve its original, historic nature and the romantic
and simple charm of Israel in its first years of independence.
Very few places in Israel have managed to retain the authentic
quality of the Mediterranean. One can still discern in the
old structures the many textures and architectural forms
of earlier occupants -- from the Christian Crusades to the
Turkish Empire. The roads and byways, a mixture of ancient
and modern, all add to a very special atmosphere. Yet perhaps
it is the landscape, the vegetation and the view that make
this place so unique and exciting -- natural Mediterranean
gardens of olive, pomegranate almond and carob trees, grape
vines and figs. Ein Hod has remained a nature reserve, preserving
the biblical flora of ancient Israel -- a perfect environment
for the creative muse.
-- Article by Amichai Shavit |
| A
village meeting, Ein Hod 1950's |
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