Image: Other Skies, Gili Avissar. Photo by Vera Vladimirsky

Gili Avissar is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Tel Aviv. Avissar creates large-scale textile installations and videos, combining object-making and performance. We asked Avissar to tell us more about his use of textiles and current practice. “I started using textiles from a young age, probably when I was five years old. I used to make my own costumes and I began playing with my gender. I remember there were two very big pieces of cloth in my grandma's closet that I would cover myself with, and every time I would put them on my body, I would immediately become someone else. The idea of textile as something that helps you switch identities later became my interest in fashion, but only when I stared studying fashion design did I realize that I’m less interested in making casual outerwear and more drawn to the fabric as something transformative.”

Image: Cyclop, Gili Avissar. Photo by Lena Gomon

“At the moment, I am with another performance artist - Noa Reshef - in the desert for a month as part of an artist residency in the Art and Cultural Center in Arad. We are planning to work there on a new body of works. I'm very much looking forward to leaving Tel Aviv and going into nature, as I am eager to incorporate more natural aspects into my works. I envision the desert as a perfect setting for creating new works. We are going there only with materials but without any ready works, so we are leaving the results very open and we'll see where this leads us.”

Image: Work from 'Situation: Parasite' at The Mishkan Museum, Gili Avissar.

“During the beginning of the lockdown I was very active in my studio… After the first two months I suddenly stopped creating any works when I realized the situation was not going to get any better soon. I began asking myself why I produce anything in the first place. But as the world seem to be focused so much on one thing I'm slowly starting to feel the urgent need of also taking care of our souls and why art is essential to our survival.”

For more information visit www.giliavissar.com