Sharon Balaban (b.1971, Jerusalem born, based; MFA, Hunter College, 2003) who leads the video program of the Screen Based Arts Department at Bezalel Academy, is noted for her screenings and installations in the US, Europe, and Israel. Her works imbue quotidian objects and scenarios with wit and punch. These commentaries sometimes deploy body-driven imagery to express her feminist agenda. Balaban co-curated Akerman's installation, DE LA MÈR(E) AU DÉSERT, her last in Israel during her lifetime. Featured at Mamuta and as part of the 2014 Jerusalem Film Festival, this included a legendary performance: At dusk, under a tent, in a grove by the entry, Akerman read from MA MÈRE RIT (2013) to a gathering transfixed by the intimacy of her words and presence. In 2022, Balaban's newest work will be presented in this venue in an exhibition curated by Lea Mauas.
