“We’ve reached a point in time where we no longer see the art itself, but first and foremost—the space. In our minds, we form an image of an ideal white space, and that image, more than any picture, is perhaps the most typical image of 20th-century art.”

(Brian O’Doherty, from the book “Inside the White Cube”)

Is the gallery still relevant to the art world today, or has it become merely a supermarket of aesthetic items—products arranged for the viewer, decorative furniture for collectors’ homes? At times, it seems that, like all happy families, all galleries have begun to look the same—trapped in an internal discourse shaped by external economic mechanisms along the axis between museum and collector.

Gallery Binyamin was established as an anti-commercial alternative to this situation. Funded by artists, its aim is to provide a space for independent and artistic expression—an environment where artists can freely voice their ideas and positions.

The exhibition “Don’t Be Afraid of a White Room” is a one-night event that seeks to disrupt the sterile, canonical status of the galleries surrounding Binyamin. It invites viewers to linger in the space—not just to see and be seen, and then rush off to the next gallery—but to stay, to experience, to engage.

“The giant white cube today suppresses the rhythm of art rather than amplifying it. It pre-programs the viewer’s journey, shifts the focus from process to product, and lacks individuality and openness. It’s not that art should only be shown in bombed-out ruins, but it should be seen in life.”

(Art critic Jerry Saltz)