RA'ANANA.- The Open University of Israel will present PostHum Condition: A Tribute to Guernica, a powerful new media installation by French-Israeli artist Michel Platnic. Curated by Prof. Hava Aldouby and Carmit Blumensohn, the exhibition offers a powerful reflection on human fragility at the intersection of war, technology, and memory.

In this immersive, low-tech–meets–high-concept environment, Platnic reimagines Picasso’s iconic Guernica through eight video works and six sculptural objects, four of them robotically activated when visitors approach. The artist extracts individual figures from Picasso’s composition — a lifeless baby, a horse neighing in agony, a woman in despair, a small bird in pain and a tiny flower. By figures and objects from the composition, the artist grants each a space of individuality in which to subtly convey their helplessness and despair. The flower, in turn, speaks of hope in the midst of horror.

Combining robotics, digitized motors, motion sensors and high-end coding with manual craft, the installation reacts to visitors in real time: The baby turns its head, its eyes following the visitors, the horse moves its limbs helplessly in midair. Platnic’s figures return our gaze, whisper, or engage through motion as a way of immediate response. The result is a deeply touching, intimate experience that confronts the viewer with the emotional toll of technologically amplified violence.

Part of Platnic’s ongoing PostHum Condition series, this fourth installment marks a deliberate return to mechanical craftsmanship and visible human touch. As the artist manipulates strings and levers to animate his “robots,” the installation resists sleek digital aesthetics in favor of vulnerability and raw immediacy.

The work carries chilling relevance. Though conceived years earlier, its Israeli debut follows a period of intense national trauma, echoing the October 7th massacre and the more recent 12-day war with Iran. The imagery of carrying a child through rubble — once symbolic — has become a lived reality for many in the region.

The exhibition is housed in the Open University’s DHSS Hub Gallery — a unique space committed to showcasing high-quality Israeli new-media art. Since its founding, the Open University Gallery has presented Israeli art to all those who come through the campus gates, opening a window to the rich artistic activity taking place across the country. It features both veteran and emerging artists working in diverse fields and techniques, with an emphasis on works that provoke reflection and dialogue. As part of its on-campus setting, the gallery plays a vital role in fostering critical thought, cultural engagement, and intellectual openness beyond the classroom. By prioritizing inquiry over resolution, the gallery creates a space for artistic experimentation and critical engagement — a context in which Platnic’s installation resonates with particular force.

The exhibition will be on view at the Open University’s Ra’anana campus from July 11 to September 15, 2025.