Exhibitions
The Wave Effect - From a Japanese to Global Icon
New Exhibition
The concept of this exhibition touches on the three elements that make up the Great Wave -- wave, boats, and Mount Fuji. These elements are represented here in the works of Japanese and Israeli artists and are translated into the language of the period in which they were created. The element of the wave is examined through works in which it is a stylized force of nature, an ethereal boundary line, a metaphor for social isolation, and a representation of existential anxiety; not necessarily anxiety related to natural disasters. The element of boats between the waves is associated with works about war in Japanese art and with works dealing with personal and national assimilation in Israeli art. The element of the mountain appears in traditional Japanese works that emphasize different perspectives of the mountain, alongside Israeli artworks which express the attraction to the mountain. The exhibition also gives space to young artists who respond to the work using diverse visual means and in defiant and different ways.
Saturday, 07.06.25
Africa Calling: The African Collection Revealed
New exhibition
The Museum's collection of African ethnographic artifacts, which has remained hidden from public view for 30 years, includes approximately 1,000 pieces, donated by avid collectors and dedicated donors from around the world, who have intensely explored specific cultures and regions of Africa. These works were once exhibited at the Haifa Museum of Ethnology, founded in the early 1950s and active on Arlozorov Street until 1995. In unveiling these works again, "Africa Calling" calls on its viewers to immerse themselves in the diverse and vibrant cultures of Africa.
Saturday, 03.01.26
Desktop: A Physical Exhibition about a Digital Era
New exhibition
For the exhibition, the Museum invited artists to create new works, exploring how digital thinking, concepts, and tools take on substance in the physical world, shaping artistic practice and material expression. Their works delve into what happens when digital aesthetics encounter physical limitations—people, matter, and unpredictability—and what it means when technology becomes an integral part of our bodies and identities.
Saturday, 03.01.26
Facial Topography: Israeli Art from the Museum's Collection
New exhibition
The permanent exhibition showcases masterpieces from the Haifa Museum of Art's collection, which encompasses over 8,000 works, charting major trends in the history of local art. It spans works from the late 19th century to the present, where face and topography are mutually reflected, indicating affinities between the furrows of plowed earth and furrowed faces, between sun-scorched soil and tanned skin, between cracked asphalt and wounded flesh.
Saturday, 03.01.26
Give Me Strength | Gallery for Families
Many people living in Africa create power figures: hollow mannequins, which they fill with various materials, such as healing herbs or animal bones. In Africa, people believe that every material has energy that can have a positive influence on reality. So these power figures are charms providing protection against evil spirits, bad luck, and disease, and giving life-force to whoever holds them.
Saturday, 03.01.26
Blood - Money - Ships | The Reparations Agreement with Germany as a Catalyst for the Growth of the Israeli Merchant Fleet
A new exhibition
The exhibition displays models of several ZIM shipping vessels, designed for various purposes. The first ship received under the agreement, Dagan, was used for cargo, as was the Ampa'al. The ships Israel and Zion were intended for mixed use of passengers and cargo, while Jerusalem served as a passenger ship. The ship Har Gilad, owned by El-Yam company, was used for general cargo and refrigerated transport. The exhibition also features historical moments in the ships' stories, documented in sources including news diaries, photographs, and promotional leaflets.
Pirates - Between truth and legend
The phenomenon of piracy - piracy - has evolved since man began trading in ships, and it has flourished mainly in areas of loose rule. Piracy existed in ancient times in the Mediterranean and the Sea of China and reached its peak in the seventeenth century in the Atlantic Ocean, with the rise of European colonialism and the development of trade routes with the "New World".
Fishermen and Fish | Fishing Culture in Artifacts from the Haifa Museums Collections
New exhibition
This exhibition invites viewers to observe the environment of fishing villages, blending with the shore and the marine landscape, and to take a quick glance at the narrow streets of markets filled with fresh fish. It also introduces works depicting the world of fishermen peacefully engaged in their craft, as well as the dedication of fishermen anchored in shipyards or venturing out into the vast sea. Viewers are invited to explore different fishing experiences—whether calm, dynamic, or stormy—and to face the challenges posed by nature along with the fishermen. Other works focus on the diversity of types of fish. Finally, upon returning to the shore, one can encounter marine gatherers at work and fishermen focusing on the meticulous task of mending nets, allowing for an inward, meditative experience.
Sunday, 01.02.26
A love song to the sea
The display invites visitors to a space full of love for the sea and connects them directly with the museum's new story. It features a display of bottled ships and models of ships from around the world created by sailors as part of the unique leisure culture that has evolved aboard ships sailing in the distance.
The Athlit Ram
One of the most important and rare discoveries of underwater archaeology in Israel is that of the Athlit ram. It was discovered by the late Yehoshua Ramon in 1980, in the northern bay of Athlit, and was retrieved from the sea by the staff and students of the Maritime Civilizations Department at the Centre for Marine Studies at Haifa University.