Myna Depression and People Without Wings: Michal Halperin Ben-Zvi

The exhibition was born out of the reality since October 7 and seeks to look differently at the great invader, the myna bird, and at the choice to remain in the country, where sources of comfort are changing and sometimes seem to be diminishing.

Amid moments of anxiety, grief, and small acts of grace, the myna transforms from a noisy and violent nuisance into a guide. Through the paintings and texts, a naïve and stubborn attempt takes shape: to find a point of reference and understand whether the world is good or bad. Is it possible, at the height of chaos, to find beauty in an invasive bird? Is it possible to listen to the mynas’ calls and hear in them a quiet prayer for existence in the shadow of evil?

This is an exhibition about fragmented time, about unending national pain, and about a small moment of tender regard, even when the world is screaming.

The work A Body with Clipped Wings was created as a monologue responding to a reality in which the choice to remain in the country, in body and soul, is neither natural nor self-evident. Michal Halperin Ben-Zvi says: “I look at this body that chooses to remain here, disassemble its limbs, and struggle to steady my feet.”

Visitors are invited to sigh a long sigh—not one of relief, but rather a long, quiet krekhtsn—to grieve and find comfort through the words and illustrations.

Language editing: Dr. Amit Kama