Alona Rodeh
Alona Rodeh (1979, Israel) is a Berlin-based visual artist, scenographer, and urban practitioner. Rooted in the perception of the nocturnal built environment, her research-driven practices explore material cultures, subcultures, and audiovisual expressions of feelings of safety. She often creates large, immersive virtual and physical environments. Her works are frequently shown in institutional contexts, with large-scale works and solo presentations in places such as Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen (2024), Gwangju Biennial (2023), La Casa Encendida Madrid (2021), Kunstpalais Erlangen (2019), Salzburger Kunstverein (2019); Tel Aviv Museum (2013) and others. Rodeh has installed various permanent public artworks in Germany and Israel. Her residencies include, among others, a year-long residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, and another unique year-long residency at the Berlin Fire Brigade. Rodeh's works are included in numerous public collections, including the LAS Art Foundation, Tel Aviv Museum, and Haaretz Collection. As an extension of her practice, she advocates for Dark Sky International, an NGO focused on restoring nighttime environments and decreasing light pollution.
Artworks
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Nightcaps (Shishi-Shabat) is part of a series of sculptures that come on top of street lanterns in public spaces (on show, long-term, in Brunnenviertel, Berlin-Wedding). Spherical street lamps, installed in many city courtyards and pathways, provide soft, even romantic light. However, these lanterns radiate their light in all directions, adding light pollution to the nocturnal cityscapes. The works playfully ensure that light only shines downwards and address the often-overlooked issue of light pollution and its effects on humans and urban wildlife. In the context of the show at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, the work speaks to the exhibition’s Muslim-Jewish character, referencing the cultural significance of head coverings in Judaism and Islam, which hold deep traditional meanings.