CATALOG_TOM PORAT_LOWREZ

Curator Carmit Blumensohn  The Gatekeeper TomPorat TomPorat’s exhibition The Gatekeeper , on exhibit at the Open University gallery, arises from, and relates to the physical structure of the OUI campus. The concrete, wood, and stone buildings, the botanical garden, and the surrounding air, light, and sky serve as a starting point for exploration, and lead to marvelous and intriguing discoveries. In preparation for his exhibition, the artist wandered the campus, pausing, observing, listening, losing his way, and finding himself in meandering pathways and hidden corners. His feet, eyes, and camera lens helped him discover and map the hidden spots and secret spaces of the unique and complex Plaza building, home to the gallery. The building, dedicated in 2004, was designed by Ada Karmi-Melamede, an Israel Prize recipient. According to the architect, her overall idea was to connect heaven and earth in a structure featuring numerous openings, internal bridges, and unexpected links between interior and exterior spaces. The building highlights the relationship between the concrete, wood and stone of which it is constructed, and surprising connections between the interior and exterior. The campus as a whole represents higher education as a value and as inspiration.