GROUP SHOW WITH ALLISON ZUCKERMAN
CHUTZPAH: SPIRIT. RECOLLECTION. SELF.
JEWISH MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA, ST KILDA, AUSTRALIA
1 MAY – 27 JULY 2025
The Jewish Museum of Australia: Gandel Centre of Judaica proudly presents CHUTZPAH: SPIRIT. RECOLLECTION. SELF., a groundbreaking exhibition that brings together 10 artists from around the world who use a range of art forms to explore the complexity of what it means to be Jewish today. From May 1 – July 27, 2025, the JMA will transform into a vibrant showcase of over 20 loaned and newly commissioned artworks spanning painting, sculpture, video and installation, inviting audiences to explore how identity, culture and place intersect in profound and diverse ways.
Originating from the Aramaic word חֲצִיפָא (ḥăṣîpāʾ) or חֲצַף (ḥaṣap), meaning “to be barefaced” or “insolent”, the early negative connotations of the Yiddish word ‘chutzpah’ have given way for more popularized meanings like having courage or ‘guts’, today. The exhibition uses the multi-layered meanings of ‘chutzpah’ to celebrate and critique in equal measure, reflecting the Jewish tradition of questioning, debating and challenging assumptions. In CHUTZPAH: SPIRIT. RECOLLECTION. SELF., audiences are invited to enter a cathartic space and engage in a creative dialogue, to examine the multiplicities of Jewish identity and to process the courage it takes for artists to engage with Jewish themes in today’s world, amidst a rise of antisemitism, cancel culture and the loss of cultural safety.
While the exhibiting artists live and work around the world, in cities like Berlin, Tel Aviv, London, Melbourne and New York, CHUTZPAH is a testament to the remarkable resilience which they all share. Alongside her peers, Allison Zuckerman’s aspiring and often humorous takes on Jewish food, iconography and language are filled with hope, healing and strength in the face of adversity.