Tower of David Museum Opens Gold Exhibition Through March 2027
The show pairs contemporary Israeli art with rare archaeological finds in a space that has witnessed over two millennia of history.
By Amina Kaminski ·
Visitors to the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem can now view 16 contemporary Israeli artworks alongside rare archaeological gold artifacts. The exhibition, titled Gold: Touches of Gold in Contemporary Israeli Art, opened this month and will remain on display until March 2027. It marks the 50th exhibition curated by Marie Shek, who has worked in the field since 1996.
The museum's location plays a central role in the presentation. The Citadel's stones date back more than 2,000 years, spanning the Hasmonean, Herodian, Byzantine, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods. During the 1980s, archaeologists excavated the first gold treasure in Jerusalem's recorded history, a hoard of Byzantine coins, directly at this site. Shek selected this venue to close a professional circle she began three decades ago with a sound art proposal that was ultimately held elsewhere.
The exhibition features works by artists including Moshe Gershuni, Nelly Agassi, and Joshua Borkovsky. Gershuni, who died in 2017, is represented by a 1995 triptych. His son Aram Gershuni contributes Girl with Golden Hair from 2024, while his granddaughter Alma displays The Man with the Golden Helmet, a clay relief painted in 2026. Nelly Agassi, based in Chicago, created Stronghold, a gold wall piece of embroidery and silk, specifically for this show after four years of collaboration with the curator.
Shek stated that she curated the exhibition over a four-year period, a timeline extended by the war. This duration allowed artists to create new pieces or select existing works that fit the specific physical spaces of the Citadel. The collection includes materials such as gold leaf, gold powder, gold thread, and metallic paint. Shek noted that she rejected the title Jerusalem of Gold, preferring to let the visitors form their own interpretations of the city's relationship to the precious metal.
The curator described her intention to create a calming environment that contrasts with her previous, more confrontational shows. She excluded video installations to ensure viewers focused on the physical presence of the gold. "I want the gold to heal, to be a friend," Shek said. The exhibition highlights the historical and spiritual significance of gold, which Shek noted does not oxidize and holds constant value across cultures, from ancient Egypt to the Renaissance.
