Dani Karavan’s wall relief Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may those who love you prosper, generally known as Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, embellishes the southern wall of the Plenum Hall of the Knesset, the Israeli House of Representatives. The work is a public sculpture, belongs to the genre of environmental public art, which is associated with Karavan’s diverse artistic practice now spanning half a century. Many of the artist’s projects in this genre created over the years were commissioned by public authorities, for public spaces, and the benefit of the general public. These projects can be divided into three categories: works created for urban environments, projects in non-urban, ‘natural’ spaces, and artwork integrated inside buildings as part of their overall architectural and design scheme. Common to these projects is their monumental scale, demanding meticulous planning that takes into consideration factors that are not necessarily artistic or aesthetic. Due attention is given to aspects of environmental planning, such as engineering, urban-planning, interior design and landscape design. Unlike autonomic public sculptures, fabricated in workshops and finally ‘planted’ in public sites like alien objects, Karavan’s sculptural projects merge seamlessly in their locations thanks to their complex planning process. Karavan’s urban sculpture sites include the Culture Square, between the Habima theatre and the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv (2005-2012), Hadera’s Founders’ Garden (1990-1998), and Axe Majeur, a large-scale project covering three kilometers in the new French city Cergy-Pontoise (1980-). Non-urban sculptural projects include the iconic Negev Monument on the outskirts of Be’er Sheva (1963-1968), the Sapporo Art Park in Japan (1998-2006), and Passages, a homage to the German-Jewish intellectual Walter Benjamin in Portbau Spain, where he found his death. [FN3] Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, created for the plenum hall of the Israeli Knesset, belongs to the third category of works, those integrated inside buildings. Unlike the other project types, public access to these works is limited and depends on viewing times set by each building’s managers. Yet the case of Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem is unique. Although public access is limited to certain times (please see opening times in the useful information section), in reality, by nature of its location and its function as the backdrop to the events taking place on the podium, it is most likely the quintessential Israeli public artwork. This status stems from its situation in this hall, where public elected lawmakers gather, discuss, and decide whether to adopt or oppose legislative motions. This hall is the beating heart of the Israeli democratic system. For that reason Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem is also the most documented and well-known artwork in the country. Each and every day it receives vast public exposure via numerous media outlets, both local and international. In particular it ‘enjoys’ prolonged air-time on the public television channel 99, dedicated to live broadcasts from the Knesset. This celebrated artwork provides the setting for most significant acts shaping the life in Israel.

From the art guide: Dani Karavan: Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, by Adi Englman.