The Xerox Wars | Fanzines in Israel

Curator: Anat Gorel-Rorberger
May 13 - Aug. 5, 2017

The exhibition is a panoramic overview of the short history of fanzines published in Israel since the 1980s. Focusing on groundbreaking publications, it renders visible a field whose key figures have mostly acted under the radar (for fear of a hostile establishment, or due to a militant ideological outlook). Few in number, fanzine makers in Israel have taken a stand against the prevailing order, challenging the government, army, education system, established art, the bourgeoisie, sexual abuse and harassment, infliction of harm on animals, etc. The scene is a remarkable Petri dish that gives rise to a fascinating mix of values and derision thereof, anti-establishment ideologies, artistic experimentation, and uncensored opinions. Local fanzines may include artistic contents, subversive cartoons, or Rock ’n’ Roll reviews. The Situationist International (SI), a radical political and artistic group that made its first appearance in Europe in 1957 and opposed the society of spectacle fueled by the media, greatly affected the development of fanzines across the world. The SI resurfaced in the Punk culture of the late 1970s, inspiring a huge number of music groups and fanzines in wild, chaotic, collagist style. The contents of many fanzines are intentionally blunt, crude, and provocative. At times they exhibit crassness for its own sake, but often it masks incisive messages. The display seeks to recreate the spirit of freedom, spontaneity, rejection of copyrights, and collaborative efforts of fanzine makers. Most of the past players on the local scene have gladly shared materials with us, but among those active today some have refused to take part in a museum exhibition, maintaining an oppositional, antagonistic stance.

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