In this exhibition, Irit Barel-Bassan revisits the works of her grandfather, Shmuel Goldstein, a painter known for his landscape paintings and Jewish-themed scenes. His works were exhibited at Beit Yad Labanim in Petah Tikva, which later became the Petah Tikva Museum of Art, where his works are now part of the museum’s collection.

In her series of cyanotype works, the artist constructs still-life compositions that merge elements from her own studio practice with her grandfather’s paintings, household items belonging to her grandmother—who was a homemaker—and objects from both the studio and the kitchen. She transforms familiar, everyday objects into a realm of the sublime.

Barel-Bassan turns her gaze inward, examining her family history and exploring how her personal biography influences her artistic practice. Through a process of unraveling and rewriting—characteristic of her artistic approach—she weaves together the story of her grandparents, presenting it to the viewer. This deconstruction and reassembly render the unseen visible, making the elements that accompany the artist’s journey tangible, serving as a testimony to their presence.

In her previous solo exhibition, Barel-Bassan investigated the concept of beauty, questioning its meaning and striving to reach its essence. In this current exhibition, alongside her exploration of personal biography, her works engage with questions of heritage and material legacy. Through cyanotype prints, video work, and site-specific installation, she moves between two inheritances, attempting to fuse them while establishing an internal hierarchy between them. She traces the echoes of the past—footprints that lead to her own artistic practice.