the first retrospective and significant overview of the photographerTomer Ganihar

Art Museum Tennis Palace presents the first retrospective and significant overview of the photographer, Tomer Ganihar, an artist currently at a pivotal point in his career and on a rapid rise to international recognition. The Israel-born photographer Tomer Ganihar (1970), who now lives in New York, draws much of his inspiration by travelling the world and photographing light and its sources. "Photography is an old and hypnotic medium, it's like a wild beast," Tomer Ganihar says. Because Ganihar does not want to enslave the wild beast, he never stages or manipulates his photographs; he documents without being a documentarist. People are one of Tomer Ganihar's most important subjects; whether alone in self-reflection, interacting in small groups, or bustling in huge crowds. Light and movement are also key themes in his works. To Ganihar, light unites people around the world; gives hope for peace, has divine associations, and is an original source of light that is shared by all religions. By capturing light on film and releasing it in his photographs for others to embrace, Ganihar considers himself a 'channel for light'. The exhibition of over seventy works now showing at Art Museum Tennis Palace presents Tomer Ganihar's diversity in the photographic medium with six series from 1996 to 2007: Italy, New York, India, Raves, Mannequins (also known as Hospital Party) and Global Light. In this current exhibition, Ganihar's best-known series of photographs, Raves, an ecstatic and energetic series portraying Israeli youth at raves provides a stark, thought-provoking contrast to the more sombre Mannequin series depicting technically-sophisticated first-aid dummies in a military hospital. The Mannequins series was widely acclaimed during its first-ever exhibition at The Venice Bienniale in 2007. On the occasion of the exhibition at Art Museum Tennis Palace, a full-colour catalogue has been published by Helsinki City Art Museum entitled 'Tomer Ganihar - Channel of Light'. Contributors include Robert Storr, the curator of the 2007 Venice Bienniale, who has written a commentary. The catalogue also includes an additional article and an interview with Tomer Ganihar from contributors Janne Gallen-Kallela-Sirén, Pernille Fonnesbech and Claire Gould. The exhibition and exhibition catalogue has been produced in collaboration with GL STRAND, Copenhagen. After Art Museum Tennis Palace, a part of the exhibition will tour to GL STRAND from 31.1.-13.4.2009. http://www.glstrand.dk

Further information: Curator, Claire Gould, claire.gould@hel.fi,
Educational Curator, Nanne Raivio, nanne.raivio@hel.fi,
Press Officer, Karri Buchert. tel. +358 9 310 87004, karri.buchert@hel.fi.

For enquiries concerning the exhibition's tour programme, please contact Chief Curator, Erja Pusa, erja.pusa@hel.fi. ART MUSEUM TENNIS PALACE Salomonkatu 15, 00100 Helsinki Open: Tue-Sun 11–20.30, Mon closed Admission: Children under 18 free of charge. Free admission on Fridays

January 7, 2009

Helsinki City Art Museum

- Art Museum Tennis Palace Equal Praying 1999

Copyright Tomer Ganihar Tomer Ganihar Channel of Light 28th Nov 2008 - 25th Jan 2009 Art Museum Tennis Palace Helsinki City Art Museum Salomonkatu 15, 00100 Helsinki http://www.taidemuseo.fi