(b.1969, Ramat Gan, Israel)

Part of the appeal of Guy Ben-Ner’s deceptively simple videos is that they are made with great economy of means, presenting a do-it-yourself aesthetic. In his early works, Ben-Ner used his young children and his wife as performers in narratives staged in his own home. The family kitchen became the setting for adaptations of Moby-Dick and Robinson Crusoe, and for other videos which incorporate sophisticated references to classic films and literature and the history of performance art. In these works, which are characterised by their ingenious use of everyday materials, Ben-Ner addresses, in his words, ‘the biggest themes with the aid of the tiniest means.’ In the last five or six years, despite having received several major commissions to make films, he has remained true to his belief that it is important to be able to make art cheaply. He also maintains that, ‘in terms of artistic practice, nothing good can come from complete freedom. You need rules to play with and break.’