Haifa's 'big wave' washes over the Tikotin Museum • 'The wave effect - from a Japanese icon to a global one'

A fascinating exhibition at the Tikotin Museum reveals the wave effect

On the evening of Monday 6/1/25 in the presence of a distinguished crowd of residents, guests, artists including the mayor Mr. Yona Yahav, the deputy ambassador of Japan in Israel Mr. Utaka Janichiro, Mrs. Ilana Tikotin and Dr. Etti Glass Gisis, the museum's curator - A new exhibition was launched at the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art - and the festive evening was hosted by Yotam Yakir, CEO of Haifa Museums.

This is an exhibition that brings to the public the enormous impact of the famous work of the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai, 'The Great Wave'. The exhibition, called "The Wave Effect - From a Japanese Icon to a Global One", includes works by approximately 80 Israeli and Japanese artists, who respond to the iconic work in creative and diverse ways.

Hokusai, who in the 30s created the famous print "Under the Wave, near Kanagawa", not only became a Japanese icon, but his global influence is evident in works of art to this day, which indicates the process of spreading Japanese culture in the world.

Greetings from the Deputy Ambassador of Japan in Israel ► Watch

Knowing the importance of Japanese culture and the beginning of the action - Tikotin Museum

At the end of the fifties, Felix Tikotin came to visit Israel with his daughter Ilana. At this time, Tikotin's meeting with Abba Khushi led to an exciting artistic venture: the donation of his Japanese art collection to establish a Japanese museum in Haifa. The purpose of the museum was to present Japanese art in all its shades, while preserving and enriching Japanese culture in Israel and the Middle East.

As part of the establishment of the museum, Tikotin purchased the house of Colonel Frederic Kish in Carmel, which was the first building of the museum, which opened in May 1960. Tikotin turned the special place, which was a historical building, into a home for Japanese art, thus his contribution enabled the building of a cultural bridge between Japan and Israel.

Yotam Yakir CEO of Haifa Museums ► Watch

80 works that correspond with the 'Great Wave' - between East and West

The work "The Great Wave near Kanagawa" is one of the series "Thirty-Six Mirrors of Mount Fuji" (1833-1831) which has long since become one of the most famous works of art in the world. This print, by Hokusai, shows the mighty waves of the sea next to Mount Fuji, which is one of the defining symbols of Japan.

In the "Wave Effect" exhibition, 80 works of artists are displayed, which correspond to the famous work. The works deal with the three main elements of the "Great Wave" - ​​the wave, the boats and Mount Fuji - and this, in a way that expresses different ideas and feelings. For example, the wave appears in the works as an abstract force of nature, as a boundary line, and as a metaphor for existential anxiety.

The boats between the waves, on the other hand, deal with the themes of war, immigration and immigration - two themes that are common in both Japanese culture and Israeli art. The multitude of interpretations of Hokusai's historical work connects the past with the present, and creates a contemporary work that brings Hokusai's message to different periods and other cultures.

'The Great Wave': a work that inspired modern nationalism

Hokusai's 'Great Wave' is not only an iconic work of art, but also a bridge for Japanese culture to the Western world. Beginning in the 19th century, Western culture found great interest in the artistic representations of Japan, and the 'Great Wave' became one of the most famous images. Hokusai's work was part of the phenomenon known as "Japanism", that is: the influence of Japanese art on European and American artists.

Over the years, the image of the wave did not remain only in prints, but became a central theme in fashion, cinema, advertising, and design. Its great influence is also evident today in popular culture, and the wave has become a global symbol of creativity and innovation. The exhibition in Haifa presents the meeting between the traditional Japanese artists and the modern artists and illustrates how one work succeeds in crossing cultural boundaries and creating a connection between the past and the present.

'The 'Great Wave' is coming to Israel: Hokusai's influence on local art

One of the main contents of the exhibition is the influence of Hokusai's work on Israeli art. The local artists in the exhibition offer different interpretations of his work, bringing the Japanese story into the modern era.

Among the leading names in the exhibition, you can find Oscar Oiva (born in Brazil 1965), Keren Benvanishti (born in Israel 1977), the Israeli photographer Gaston Zvi Itzkowitz (born in 1974), the French photographer Pierre-Eli de Pibrac (born in 1983), Revital Lasik (born 1962), Michel Kishka (born 1954) cartoonist and illustrator Israeli - who bring different adaptations of the wave images. Each of the artists offers a personal point of view that translates the wave into his cultural and artistic world.

In addition, the exhibition also gives space to young and innovative artists, who use digital means and animation to bring the big wave into the 21st century. Digital works such as Revital Lasik's 'The Incarnation' offer a humorous and innovative look at the wave images, while contemporary animated works engage viewers in a modern discourse on the forces of nature and existence.

Words by Yotam Yakir, CEO of Haifa Museums ► Watch

An exhibition with activities for the whole family

The general public is invited to visit the exhibition not only to enjoy the works of art, but also to take an active part in the artistic work. The exhibition includes an activity area for children and families, where visitors can create the 'big wave' themselves, using ink and their fingerprints. The creation of the animation book 'The Incarnation of Gal' invites visitors to understand the behind-the-scenes of art and even participate in a creative dialogue with works of art.

The words of the artist Michel Kishka ► Watch

Technology, science and art - an innovative combination

The special part of the exhibition is on the second floor of the museum, where the animation shows the fascinating connection between art and neuroscience. In this section, animation works created in collaboration with neuroscientists are shown, and they represent the interaction between brain waves and Hokusai's artwork.

The presentation of the artistic effects on the brain offers a new and fascinating angle of the effect of art on man, inspired by the works of the Japanese artist Hokusai.

A bridge between worlds and cultures - the museum as a space of inspiration

The Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, which specializes in Japanese works of art, has become a bridge between East and West with this exhibition. The famous work 'The Great Wave' not only presents Japanese culture, but also offers a global cultural discourse that connects people and cultures.

Hokusai's history embodies the process by which a local work of art can become a global icon. 'The Great Wave' and its full name: "under the wave, near Kanagawa" is a clear example of this.

One work manages to cross geographical and cultural boundaries and influence different areas of modern culture. The exhibition in Haifa offers not only an aesthetic experience, but also an opportunity to deepen the influence of one work of art on the entire world.

The words of Dr. Etty Glass Gisis, the curator of the museum ► Watch