Anat Ratzabi

‘’Lest They Be Forgotten’’ A Short documentary - From Concept to Realization, The making of Memorial Monument, The Hague, the Netherlands Made on commission by JMDH foundation, The Mayor and Municipality of The Hague. The process of creating the conceptual framework for the monument meant a great deal of research, engagements with available literature, experts on the subject, interviews and exposure to testimonials of victims. The fieldwork, demands collaboration with others involved in planning public spaces, from elected officials, city engineers and planners to community stakeholders. ‘’I believe that Through art in the public space it is possible to be advocating for alternative perspectives that can challenge beliefs, assumptions, and community values. Using symbolic elements incorporated in the design of the memorial, support succession in creating an intersection between past, present and future. The memorial captures and documents the spirit and atmosphere of past events and is meant to generate curiosity & attention, as well to evoke compassion and tolerance. And by doing so, to impress upon the present and future generation the eternal impact we can have on each other’s lives.” A.R. More on www.anatratzabi.com

UN Talk- Highlights of My participation Speech at the United Nations 65th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) March ’21 Topic: Arts & sports for Preventing Violence and building Peaceful Inclusive Societies. The conference was related to the Covid19 era and I was invited to advocate and talk about the use of Art as prevention of domestic violence during covid19 and to share my views, Proposing alternatives to conventional patriarchal constructs embedded in societies and cultures around the world.

''Scent of a prayer" Video installation by Anat Ratzabi © (Teaser) Showcasing full video on request) 'Scent of a Prayer' is a compilation of in motion and closeup shots of an installation that is an abstract reminiscent of a traditional Yemenite necklace. The installation consist of portraits taken out of family photo and so out of context. The portraits are barred in Crystal drops and used as ornaments. It illustrates the position of the individual in and out of the family framework. A paradigm to the process of transformations created by forced or voluntary disposition. The video art is accompanied by a storytelling voice over describing intimate moments carved in the landscape of my memory - these moments are significant to the understanding of the nostalgic state of mind related to a mythological homeland. I use family photo's and documents from a period when my grandfather was a prisoner of war, captured in the island of Crete and sent for 5 years to a work camp in Germany. An event that is of an influence on a personal and collective history. Each portrait is decorated with patterns inspired by the Yemenite traditions. This action allude to the attempt to embrace mutual values and recreate memories. As Scent is very emotionally loaded, Scent of memories, Odor of memories, are the key into some of our oldest and our most emotional memories – this installation illustrate how scent occupies the space between us and helps us recognize our own emotionally build DNA

''On bare feet'' Video installation by Anat Ratzabi © (Teaser) Showcasing full video on request) 'On Bare feet' is a juxtaposition of life events and experiences. An ode to grandfather David's poignant journey out of Yemen. The birthplace he left on bare foot and the place that became my mythological homeland. A place where I engage deeply while communing with the heritage of dance, craft and music. The narrative in this artwork display's my performance of a traditional Yemeni dance to a remote time chanting of my grandfather, drumming on an empty tin box of olive oil. The repeating beats and dance moves resonates ritualism and elevates a state of trance that interlace various time concepts.

Title :Freedom is a framed landscape © Video Installation, by Anat Ratzabi Waves are impermanent boundaries, freedom is a framed landscape © Synopsis: Challenging the idea that freedom can be embodied by a specified space, invites by the attempt of definition the understanding that: defining a space creates a search for borderlines/ boundaries. Equally, it creates a kind of framed landscape. Waves creates border lines that repeatedly appear and vanish - its end is as well as its beginning. And as such, are impermanent. These dynamics raise a debate about how we define the relation between space & freedom. Is the volume of a concept defined by its frame/borderlines or creates them? Method: I am using a screening of waves braking in to shore, on a white wall. The objects on the white wall appear throughout the screening. These objects are characterizing all what is permanent and thus clash into the idea of the impermanence. And that is a contradiction and a challenge to the concept of freedom.

Rembrandt in Black & White Exhibition in 5 Museums of the Netherlands. Rembrandt van Rijn original etchings alongside a series bronze sculptures inspired by the work of the great master made by A. Ratzabi An assembly of impressions of The Exhibition at the WestFries Museum, presenting a wonderful retrospective with more than 100 etchings by the master himself, brought together by a private collector. Complimentary to the work of the great Master, the museum is featuring the work of the Hague artist Anat Ratzabi. - The Rembrandt project ''Through careful observation of his evocative work, Anat entered into a powerful Dialogue over a period of time . What emerged is a distinctive, melodious balance of dimension and proportion. This artistic expression is authentic to both the Master and this contemporary artist. Anat appears to express herself in a very strong and exclusive way. Her sense of dimension and proportion is accurate as well as the way of rendering is melodiously. Observing the work of Rembrandt, she has challenged herself into a process of a dialogue With the originals, Maintaining own authenticity and artistic identity.'' Curator B. Hande Quote at Pune Exhibition, India. The exhibition is realized in collaboration with four more museums: The Markiezenhof in Bergen op Zoom, Stedelijk Museum Zutphen, Het Hannemahuis in Harlingen and Museum Gouda.