Be a Loser: Lea Soussan
Omer Tiroche Gallery is proud to present Be a Loser, a solo exhibition by multi-disciplinary artist Lea Soussan, curated by Mor Reshef Sivan. In her new body of work, Soussan explores the various teachings and parables of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, that centered around moral and religious codes of conduct. Soussan inserts symbolic references to the scholar throughout the exhibition in order to not only revive his doctrines but also to highlight that they are still relevant and applicable in today’s society, despite his passing over 209 years ago.
The name of the exhibition, Be a Loser, is derived from Soussan’s own interpretations of Rabbi Nachman’s observation that within society there is an excessive emphasis on striving for success, which, as a result, evokes an overwhelming fear of failure. In turn, this causes people to hide certain aspects of their lives that may be deemed unsuccessful, and consequently project a false version of themselves onto the public. Rabbi Nachman teaches to embrace this fear, arguing that failure is not only vital but also fundamental to growth. For Soussan, the Rabbi Nachman use of the seed as a metaphor for development is his most poignant, and she reflects this through her large-scale sculpture of a rotten seed, mirroring the artist’s belief that through decay comes rebirth.
Rabbi Nachman’s writings instigate countless interpretations. Through her work Soussan aims to render his teachings more accessible to the general public, as well as to open multiple discourses on how to apply to his theories to contemporary society; simultaneously highlighting both the differences and parallels between two contrasting centuries. The exhibition opens during the Chanukah holiday, as a symbolic reminder of Rabbi Nachman’s doctrine; that we are all equal and that regrowth is always possible.
Lea Soussan was born in Israel in 1986 and moved to Paris at a young age. She later received an art degree from the Stern College for Women in New York. In 2015 Soussan returned to Israel and currently lives and works in Tel Aviv. She has exhibited in several solo and group shows in Israel.
