Present Matter – Curation, Exhibition, and Installation

As every year, and as part of the Edmond de Rothschild Design Award’s deep commitment to promoting excellence in local design, a wide team of creators from various fields worked to produce the annual event. This year, around the exhibition Present Matter – showcasing the works of the 22 finalists for the 2025 Product Design Award – a multidisciplinary effort unfolded across three complementary axes: exhibition, catalog, and film.

At the heart of the curatorial and editorial process of the catalog and exhibition is Tzafi Sivan Spivak, an interior designer and graduate of the International Program in Design Curation and Museology at Shenkar, with 25 years of experience in planning and design.

“I am drawn to combining different medias, engaging with public spaces, and exposing design work to a broad, multi-generational audience. For me, the main challenge is not just to display the work, but to give each designer a personal voice, to showcase their portfolios in a way that highlights each individual’s uniqueness”

One of the main challenges was presenting 22 portfolios at varying scales within a single space. The decision to present each finalist through a personal podium – a stack of cardboard on a wooden platform – turned the material limitation into a curatorial statement. “Temporary materials emphasizes the continuity of the creative process,” Tzafi explains. “It suggests the stack will continue to  grow and expand as the projects themselves evolve”

This curatorial concept was brought to life by Or Shoshani, a graduate of the Department of Industrial Design at Bezalel, who was responsible for installing the exhibition and designing the display elements. Naturally drawn to everyday and seemingly simple materials, Shoshani was able to interpret Tzafi’s vision and give it a precise physical expression within the space.

From the curatorial vision to the audience’s physical encounter, the exhibition is only one part of the story. You can read more about the catalog and the film Design 22 in the following articles.

The exhibition ‘Present Matter’ is on display at the Edmond de Rothschild Center until December 5, 2025

Address: 104 Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv
Opening hours: Sun–Thu 10:00–18:00 | Fri 10:00–14:00
Curator: Tzafi Sivan Spivak | Graphic design & catalog: Rony & Roni Studio | Exhibition installations: Or Shoshani | Interview photography: Amnon Horesh | Film content editing: Lehi Berger | Film graphic cover: Yuval Katz