Although the character of Dani Karavan’s site-specific outdoor interventions varies greatly, his basic vocabulary of geometric forms and innovative use of nature—light, wind, water, and sun—has remained unchanged since Negev Monument (1968), an early, seminal work in Israel. His utopian striving for harmony and order, as well as his desire that his works be touched and used, also remains unchanged. Inspired by the historical and cultural associations specific to the location of each work, he filters traces of memory into his designs. These characteristics have made him a leading exponent of permanent contextual art, his status acknowledged by many prestigious awards, among them the Israel Prize, the Goslar Kaiser Ring for Art, and Japan’s Praemium Imperiale.
