“…Bokobza’s mission is to integrate his works within the display of Jewish folk art, whose values constitute a prescribed given and are mostly canonical and traditional. How could the items of the Judaica collection possibly abide in peace side by side with the works of the artist carrying messages that are occasionally political, frequently social, usually gender-based and always thought provoking? The answer is that in his work the artist successfully provides numerous keys to diverse interpretations, which he has similarly performed in this solo exhibition where his work exchanges identity-hats. Yes, Bokobza is the hats-artist.

The oeuvre of Bokobza is endowed with the ability to absorb significances that are not immanent or that are not the first to categorize any of his works. The title of the exhibition, Nationality:Jewish, declares that we are dealing here with identity and that we can therefore rely on Bokobza that in his exhibited works (over the past 12 years) he has supplied us with the key for this kind of reading and interpretation – a key for opening the door to Jewish identity.

Ron Bartos