Guy Ahouvi
Untitled
My workspace is the whole -2 level of Dvir Gallery’s building in southern Tel Aviv. I am allowed to work there since my father owns the building and the gallery’s owners have decided not to rent that floor, and no one else uses it. At first glance, the acts I do may seem minor and subtle, and include cleaning certain areas, repainting the walls, and other actions related to the space’s appearance. My acts correlate to the building’s original features without alternating them, they mark or define parts of the interior, and highlight the contrast between the space where the action took place and its surroundings. The result is a large format photograph that considers these relations. These acts are an expression of the way I perceive myself in relation to that space and what it stands for. They are also a representation of my relationship with my father, and are influenced by him, and my complex affinity to the family’s wealth. My ambivalent relation to my spot in the art scene stems from the fact I am a son of a known art collector and businessman, and an art student. Doing these acts in the space embodies my will to choose what I take from what is offered to me and draws the boundaries of my place in relation to my father’s.