A little kid named Agam.
One childhood experience that significantly shaped my life was visiting the awe-inspiring Tel Aviv Art Museum with Leah’s kindergarten. I will never forget the overwhelming excitement I felt as I stood in the mist of this childhood memory, in the grand entrance space with its towering columns that seemed even more monumental to my 5-year-old eyes. It felt like stepping into a sacred place: a vast, multi-dimensional structure that exuded a sense of grandeur and wonder. Standing at the heart of the space, I am thrilled and mesmerized, gazing at a massive kinetic artwork on the wall before me. It is a riot of colors and sharp angles — pink, yellow, vibrant green, turquoise, red, and black — triangles and cubes shifting right, left, up, and down, transforming with abrupt movements, yet remaining frozen in place — each side view of the painting exposes different images in different flashing colors.
Leah, our kindergarten teacher, explains: "This artwork is a painting created by Jacob Agam." We gathered in a small group beneath this gigantic painting, and while some children seemed unaffected, my friend Shiraz and I were stunned by the artwork's sheer size, the wonders of the holy place, and its profound significance. "Although Jacob Agam lives in Paris, he specially crafted this painting for the Tel Aviv Museum, and the museum's board decided to hang it prominently in the main space."
Tiny figures move beneath the colossal artwork, crossing from side to side. My eyes of innocence open wide in utter amazement: it is possible to create a painting on a scale that surpasses imagination. Some people do this, for real. I stood in front of the artwork and realized that this is life. Until that moment, I hadn't known that I had artistic dreams. However, the mysterious and delightful atmosphere, the colorful, urban temple, and the monumental creation made me fully grasp directions and proportions. Like Jacob Agam, I, too, would explore the world, paint enormous vibrant canvases, and invite children from every kindergarten in every corner of the globe, joining hands and dancing in circles, to experience my artworks. That morning, I resolved, as much as a 5-year-old orphan can, that this was a myth or grand dream I must pursue throughout my life until I found a way to turn it into reality.
