On May 10, 2023, we will hold a special evening that will deal with the lesser-known history of the Polish contribution to
the image of the City of Tel Aviv.
The evening, which will be held at Liebling House (29 Idelson St. in Tel Aviv), will bring together Polish National Institute of Architecture
and Urbanism researcher Dr. Artur Tanikowski, an Israeli architectural researcher and curator Michael Jacobson and Jeremy Hoffman,
head of the municipal Site Preservation Department.
At the meeting, Dr. Artur Tanikowski will present his short documentary (in Hebrew) – “The Eagle and the Flying Camel” dealing with the
Levant Fair and the unique story of the Polish Pavilion during that unique trade fair held in the White City. Tanikowski’s film follows i.a. the
Polish, Jewish, but also Polish-Jewish architects who were involved over the years in the construction of the fair pavilions.
The Levant Fair, which operated in Tel Aviv from the mid-20s of the last century, became in the 30s a model of abundance, prosperity,
regional balance and free trade between East and West, between the old world and the new one, between the countries of origin and
new directions of settlement. The purpose of the fair, whose symbol was the flying camel, was to strengthen economic ties with the
Middle East, and especially the relations with the Jewish population under the British mandate.
In 1932, many pavilions at the fair adopted a modernist form. The Polish Pavilion differs from them in that it was built in the shape of a
mountain hut in Zakopane.
Poland of that time, between the world wars, aspired to be recognized in the international arena and sought to express its identity
through cultural and artistic means. The country, whose national symbol is the white eagle, wanted to do this in a special way: on the
one hand, the creators of the pavilions used the elements drawn from folk culture, the national style of Poland. On the other hand, they
showed their awareness of existing trends and aimed to present a Polish version of the international style, mainly to broadcast the
message that Poland is undergoing a process of modernization. A combination of classic folk and new modern.
The speakers will examine the dynamics of the Jewish population under the British mandate, alongside the new state of Poland, as
manifested at the Levant Fair.
The event is organized in collaboration with the Polish National Institute of Architecture and Urbanism (NIAiU) and the Ministry of Culture
and National Heritage from Poland.
