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 Naama Arad \ The Viewer’s Guide to Rosh HaAyin

Have you ever entered an exhibition that felt so real you couldn’t distinguish it from the actual world? It’s important that you don’t resist. Try, as much as you can, to stay open and surrender yourself to the experience. Don’t worry, it’s only art— it’s not going to harm you. You are about to pass through a narrow hallway, much like the one you initially came from. Do not be afraid of the dark—see how light manifests from within it. From there, the path will continue to open up, a pleasant feeling of relaxation will spread through the body, and something new will be born within you.

The easiest way to enter an exhibition is to begin by not reading the text. Too much is lost in language. Don’t worry about the title of the show. It’s human instinct to want to understand, but as you find yourself standing in front of an artwork, make sure to always remember: understanding is not what you're after. Now, if you simply open your eyes and allow yourself to see the sequence of images rising before you. Examine the shapes and colors in space, as if you were looking at a surrealist painting. Imagine how the painting slowly grows, stretches to the size of the room, and turns three-dimensional. As you proceed to step inside, sense how it becomes an environment within you. Don’t try to identify the images you’re seeing; don’t put names on them. Simply allow them to rise, to be painted in you, to assemble, to come into being, and then slowly fade, on the screen at the tip of your consciousness. Notice how, amid the shifting views, it is you who is constantly changing. Do not seek any shortcuts; understand that you are the pathway. Allow yourself to unwind and then feel how you emerge as a giant optical instrument. It’s okay—that’s exactly how it should be. Now relax and take a deep breath.

It’s important to understand that what you call a “normal” exhibition is by no means an objective reflection of the world—not by any means at all. An exhibition is a carefully characterized form, shaped according to a mysterious formula that was
fixed in the mind of the artist. An invisible consciousness orchestrated this space. Know that everything here was prepared for you.

Try as much as you can not to judge what’s in front of you. There are no “proper” images or “improper” images. It is perfectly reasonable that the wall unfolds and that the light continuously flickers. Don’t try to make any sense out of what you're seeing. Your brain will take care of that automatically and your body will sense it intuitively. You don't have to try to understand anything, just look and experience the exhibition.

You're strolling through the walls that construct the space of your consciousness: the feeling, the sensation, the thought, the picture. Acknowledge the fictitious divide between your impression and what is being imprinted within you. Understand that reality is, in itself, a concealing partition. You're not able to control it, and you can’t capture it through your perception. Allow yourself to relax and loosen your grip further. A certain quality rises and registers, becoming internalized within you as knowing.