David Polonsky | Sympathy

The animation work “Sympathy” is projected onto the historic staircase of the Tel Aviv-Yafo City Museum, where the building meets the street. Created specifically for this spot, it serves as a “gateway” between the museum’s interior and exterior and between the building’s past and present. The projection presents elaborate illustrations of the city’s residents, one after the other. Some of them look directly at us, while others look away. Each figure is fully present for a few moments before it fades away, as if swallowed back into the city.
One of the top illustrators in Israel, David Polonsky is known for his use of rich colors and his mastery in building spectacular and complete worlds. His works explore new ways to revive memories, emotions, and narratives through a distinctive visual language. The complexity and intimacy typical of his language are evident in this work too, where he orchestrates a chorus of  human gazes interwoven into the urban fabric. The faces are familiar but also anonymous, flashing for a brief moment and barely registering. They create a continuous sequence of gazes that connect and unravel, bringing people closer and pushing them apart. The work is presented in an endless loop that has no beginning or end, just like the non-stop pulse of the city – and invites visitors to enter the museum, for a face-to-face encounter.

Editing: Roiy Nitzan