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Playing with the Wind

The exhibit is devoted to colorful, vibrant, and thrilling kites, old and new, that come from all over the world - China, Japan, India, the Philippines, Africa, America, Europe and Israel. For thousands of years kites have been a source of prayer, games, battles, contests, and art in various cultures. They are captivating in their aero-dynamic design and when they fly high up in the sky. Children who visit the exhibit will be given an individual kit for building and designing a kite, and they will be able to participate in a unique virtual kite game.

About 150 years ago the effect of Asian kites and the studies of the pioneers of space resulted in the development of abounding new shapes whose performance is spectacular; some of them can even lift a person from the ground and fulfill mankind's age old dream of flying. Since then aerodynamics and extreme sports have undertaken the eternal dream. The journeys and exhibitions have made it possible for us to experience the Asian shapes and traditions.

Today artists from all corners of the world are creating surprising kites, playing with the wind, coloring the sky, and sculpting space; they have rediscovered the wonders of kites and seek a new aesthetics inspired by nature and movement. Some seek the metaphysical dimension of the Asian "paper birds".

This exhibit displays about 200 kites of different sizes, divided into in different groups - kites of yesteryear, sports, artistic, mechanical, and musical kites; kites that resemble airplanes and birds; scary and funny kites; fighting kites, kites from Israel and more. They are accompanied by a historical outline of kites over the generations, films that show kites flying in the sky, a children's workshop in which kites will be made and decorated, and a unique virtual game for children, imitating the flight of a kite.

Curator: Christine Armengaud
Design: Architect Ori Glazer
Opens: July 15, 2014