arts&life exhibits Amerika, Franz Kafka’s unfinished first novel (published posthumously in 1927), is set in a dream world that is not quite America — not surprising, since the author never visited the country. Inspired by Kafka’s work, Tel Aviv-born artist Tal Shlomo Rosenzweig — known as Tal R — has created his own fantasy of Detroit from his studio in Copenhagen. The result is “: this is not Detroit,” a solo exhibition of seven large-scale paintings rendered in a rich and moody palate of blues that depict the artist’s vision of specific Detroit neighborhoods, including Black — where am I? From that dizzi- ness, I developed the idea of “: this is not Detroit.” Using primitive shapes and symbols — waves, ships and city buildings — drawn with short, energetic brushstrokes, Tal R cre- ates a detached vision of Detroit, inviting viewers to consider the city as not just a place but an idea. In addition to the paintings, Tal R has written a one-of-a-kind 52-page Detroit newspaper that is distributed to the public at the exhibition. That, as well as the paintings, were completed in Detroit, at MOCAD — the paint- ings have come full circle. Here, Tal R has a conversation with the JN. Detroit, REimagined Copenhagen-based artist Tal R brings his visions of Detroit to MOCAD. LYNNE KONSTANTIN ARTS & LIFE EDITOR NAAMAN ROSEN ABOVE: Delray. RIGHT: Tal R. BELOW: A papier- mache wall displays the original newspaper pages; copies are distributed to visitors. 34 July 5 • 2018 jn Bottom, Poletown and Palmer Park. The exhibit can be seen at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCAD) Detroit through July 29. Tal R studied art at the Royal Danish Academy. A former professor at the prestigious Kunstakademie Dusseldorf, he is one of the most renowned artists in Scandinavia. During a visit there, MOCAD Executive Director Elysia Borowy-Reeder met with him and and invited him to Michigan. “On my first day in Detroit, I had lunch at an Arabic café,” Tal R says. “I felt dizzy and thought JEWISH NEWS: How long did you live in Israel? Does that inform your art in any way? TAL R: I was born in Israel dur- ing the Six-Day War in 1967. My parents moved to Copenhagen a few months after I was born but every summer was spent in Israel. I think the fact that my parents called me Tal, which is not a name in Denmark, made people in Denmark always say, “So Tal, what is your real name?” Also, the fact that I was not Israeli and not real Danish made me somehow a person living between countries. I am sure this shaped my way as a human and, therefore, undoubtedly my art.