Ilit Azoulay

About this book

This publication brings together images and archival materials related to ***Ilit Azoulay's No Thing Dies*** project, as well as illuminating texts by authors from different fields. One of the starting points in putting it together was the extended research conducted by the artist into the collections of The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, in preparation of her exhibition there (June to December 2017). The project raised the question of how such an institution gives shape to a collection of objects and, consequently, gives voice to certain histories while silencing others. The project started out by the artist listening to the stories of the people in charge of the museum collections and of the items within them. For her, storytelling is a way of passing on history and its complexity, in a manner unequaled by any other form of transmission of accumulated knowledge and culture. Eventually, this contributed to her articulating a critique of this encyclopedic museum, such as is not habitually presented in its exhibitions or catalogues. With her team, she recorded many such stories. She then revisited all the departments, and photographed every single object that was mentioned. Exhibition: The Israel Museum, Jerusalem (01.06-28.10.2017)