Assaf Evron

Text by Emma Robbins, Andrew Rafacz Gallery

For Dameseq, Assaf Evron presents metal sculptures based on a window bar ornament from a restaurant in Tel Aviv called The Syrian. Evron’s own series of sculptures directly relate to the language of the originals. Constructed from a series of overlapping geometric shapes and handcrafted from thin steel, they form a representational skyline that references the landscape of the owners’ homeland. Their narrow contours and open design place them in a space between drawing and sculpture.

The low skyline of buildings that is the source of Evron’s wall sculptures characterizes not only Damascas but also a more symbolic vernacular of the Middle Eastern village, a place once described as a landscape of architecture without architects. The artist recreates this very iconic design, placing it in the context of the gallery where it occupies the intersection of drawing, sculpture, history and architecture. They describe an idealized and aestheticized landscape, while opening a dialogue with the unique topography of the Middle East. They engage in the narrative of immigration and post-colonization in a place with a complex, multi-layered history ever unfolding in the present.