For immediate release

02-11-2011

Naomi Safran-Hon: ABSENT PRESENT

February 24^th to April 2, 2011

Opening reception: Thursday, February 24, 2011, 6 pm to 8 pm

Slag Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of “Absent Present”, a solo exhibition featuring recent works by Naomi Safran-Hon.

Absent de jura – Present de facto.

“The Hebrew term Absent Present ( Nifkadim Nochehim ) refers to the Palestinians who during the war of 1948 were absent from their property but present within the borders of the newly established state of Israel. They are also referred to as internally displaced Palestinians. Although legally citizens of Israel, they could never return to their land and home; their property was confiscated by the state. This body of work deals with the absent homeowners and the present state of their homes. The pieces in this show represent the internal landscape of this conflict, the way in which war has become an intimate part of our lives. Cement pushes through lace and infiltrates every aspect of the represented world. Trees painted in cement; homes covered by cement, and interiors printed with cement.”

Safran-Hon’s work is anchored in an undeniable reality, yet, by extracting the essence from the soul of the materials she uses, she unceasingly builds, thus transforms preexisting contexts. The spirit is inherent in Safran-Hon’s intellectual construction and, as the journey described in sefer hechaloth, the inner odyssey within oneself (Anselm Kiefer) permeates her entire body of work.

Safran-Hon received her MFA from Yale University, and her BA, Summa Cum Laude (highest honors), from Brandeis University. She is also the recipient of Blanksteen Curatorial Fellowship, Yale University, New Haven, CT (2010), Robert Schoelkopf Memorial Traveling Fellowship, Yale University, New Haven, CT (2009), Paul Caine Memorial Award, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA (2008)

Safran-Hon previous solo exhibitions include Shared Future? Brandeis Vision of Coexistence in Palestine and Israel , Shapiro Campus Center Gallery, Brandies University, Waltham, MA (2008) and Without a Face, Pardes Gallery, Haifa, Israel (2006)

In 2010, Safran-Hon’s work has been included in the following group exhibitions:

Girls Just Want to Have Funds, P.P.O.W. Gallery, New York, NY

Evocatecture, Heather James Fine Art, Palm Desert, CA

Unhinged , Gallery 263 , Cambridge, MA

Handheld History, Queens Museum of Art, New York, NY

Forest of the Trees , Heather James Fine Art, Jackson, WY

Time After Time, Actions and Interactions, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA

Uncommon Commencement, Heather James Fine Art, Palm Desert, CA

Pattern of Invasion, The LABA Gallery, 14 ^th Street Y, New York, NY

“ABSENT PRESENT” will remain on view through April 2^nd, 2011.

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SLAG Gallery specializes in contemporary art and is operated by owner and director Irina Protopopescu.

SLAG Gallery is located at 531 West 25 ^th Street, Ground Floor, suite 10. (Between 10 ^th and 11 ^th Avenues).

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am to 6 pm.

For press inquiries and reproductions contact Irina Protopopescu, 917 977 1848.

For general inquiries, contact the gallery at 212 967 9818.