Author Description

Zvi Goldstein (b. Transylvania, 1947; lives and works in Jerusalem) is a conceptual artist who creates object-like sculptures of great sensual and intellectual radiance. Living in Milan from 1969 until 1978, he made art that combined an analytical-synthetic approach with sociologically inspired critique. In 1978, however, he radically broke with the avant-gardes of the time. He moved to Jerusalem and developed a distinctive position independent from, though in communication with, the Western context. The result is a complex and open oeuvre based on multiple interconnected series and ensembles of works. Goldstein was among the first artists to take on the challenges of the globalized world and adopt a hybrid artistic stance. His multifaceted and enticing utopian vision goes far beyond a portrayal of the contemporary global status quo. The core of the book is a catalogue raisonné of all known works created between 1969 and 2014. Each of the ca. 230 works is shown in an illustration complemented by detailed information on its exhibition history and provenience and a bibliography. With seven conversations between Ory Dessau, Julian Heynen, and Eva Meyer-Hermann on Goldstein's artistic techniques, as well as visual annotations and comments by the artist.