An exhibition showcasing fishing culture with exhibits from all of Haifa's museum collections
On March 6, 2025, a new exhibition titled "The National Maritime Museum in Haifa" will open at the National Maritime Museum in Haifa. "Fish and Fishermen"The exhibition, which presents fishing culture through exhibits from the collections of Haifa museums, includes approximately 140 works of art in a variety of mediums.
Watch the article from the exhibition opening event (Live TV)
According to Adi Shelah, curator of the National Maritime Museum:
As someone who has worked for many years in Haifa museums, I was interested in the idea of whether the sea can connect their different worlds of content. For me, the encounter between the various exhibits and works in the exhibition creates a very rich picture of the place of fishing in human society throughout history. The exhibition illustrates to what extent the fishing heritage is an inseparable part of our culture and the uniqueness of the intimate encounter between man and the sea that is created during fishing. In my opinion, the exhibition also provokes thought about the essence of fishing today. It is clear that the world's population needs available protein and fishing is an important source of livelihood, but the industrialization of fishing around the world has created phenomena such as overfishing, rising fish prices and dwindling fish populations. All of these are currently provoking a lively public debate regarding fishing. In this context, the question of how the fishing heritage can be preserved and shaped in a sustainable way is interesting. Educational and cultural activities that will accompany the exhibition will also touch on these questions.
The encounter created in the exhibition between exhibits from different periods and cultures allows us to observe fishing as an essential phenomenon in human society. From the dawn of humanity to the present day, all over the world, the sea has been an important source of life. This exhibition presents works that romantically observe the lives of fishermen and show interest in their lifestyle, alongside exhibits that testify to the practice of fishing in practice.
According to Nika Tolstov, the exhibition curator:
This exhibition is unique, because it was born from a broad perspective on all museum collections, something that I was able to do thanks to my work in the Collections Management Department. This is how I discovered that although the theme of fish and fishermen is not iconic and has not received special attention in the history of art, it appears in a rich variety of works of art and various items in the collections of Haifa museums. I am happy for the privilege I had to curate this exhibition, and I hope that additional exhibitions with this concept will take place in the future.
The exhibition invites viewers to observe the surroundings of the fishing towns, to get to know the world of the fishermen who are leisurely engaged in their work and to be impressed by the fishing boats that are anchored in the shipyards or heading out to sea. Visitors are also invited to learn about different experiences of fishing – relaxed or vigorous and stormy – and to face the challenges that nature throws at them together with the fishermen. Alongside this, the exhibition provides an opportunity to get to know a variety of works that focus on fish of all their different types. Finally, upon returning to the shore, one can meet the marine collectors busy with their work and the fishermen who focus on the meticulous task of repairing their nets.
According to Yotam Yakir, CEO of Haifa Museums:
This extraordinary exhibition is the first project of its kind at Haifa Museums. The exhibition connects for the first time the diverse worlds of content of the museum group and highlights their cultural uniqueness. The exhibition includes items from the collections of the six museums as well as from the rich ethnographic collection. Despite the great difference in their contents and geographical distribution, the museums operate as one entity – a creative and innovative entity that constantly challenges itself. The exhibition is an original independent creation of Haifa Museums employees. Nika Tolstov, an employee of the Collections Management Department and an outstanding PhD student in Art History at the University of Haifa, was invited to curate the exhibition, as part of the ambition to train the next generation of curators at Haifa Museums. Vladislav Brailovsky, who is responsible for the framing and hanging of the works in his routine work at the museum, joined Nika to design the exhibition.
More details:
- Exhibition closing date: 1.2.26
- Museum address: 198 Allenby Road, Haifa
- Museum opening times:
Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday - 10:00-16:00
Thursday – 10:00-18:00
Friday - 10: 00-14: 00 - Entrance fee: 20-40 NIS
Good article, my friend Noga. Happy Purim and a blessed and peaceful Shabbat.