The winner of the 2020 Israel Prize for Plastic Art, Sara Breitberg Semal, one of the most influential women in the Israeli art scene, passed away at the age of 75.
As part of her extensive activity as a curator and art critic, she served as curator of Israeli art at the Tel Aviv Museum between 1977-1989, where she curated many exhibitions of Israeli artists.
The most famous exhibition she curated in this capacity was "The Scarcity of Material as a Quality in Israeli Art" (1986) in which she presented in the works of the various artists characteristics of the use of "scarce" art materials such as plywood, cardboard, the use of collage, and more, as an expression of political criticism of Israeli society and culture alongside a perception An aesthetic that originates in the Jewish tradition.
In 2010, she curated a retrospective exhibition of the artist Moshe Gershoni at the Tel Aviv Museum, which was also accompanied by a comprehensive book she wrote about the artist and his work.
Semal even edited the magazine "Studio" until 2004, and won the "Treasurer's Award" on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Culture and, as mentioned, the highest award there is - the Israel Award in the field of plastic arts.
Noam Samel, CEO of the Beima Theater, whose late brother Adi was Sarah's husband, paid tribute to her: "Sarah was my sister-in-law for over 40 years, she revived a woman of wisdom and excellence, an educated art curator, who invented the concept of 'material poverty' and represented Israel at the Venice Biennale several times.
"She lectured in many places, was a person with enormous knowledge of art in general and plastic art in particular, a wonderful woman. I am still in shock. We are a very close family, and I am very sad about her death."
Sergeant Breitberg is survived by two daughters.
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