ORIT BEN SHITRIT is a transdisciplinary visual artist, filmmaker, choreographer and educator. Ben Shitrit creates elastic worlds in still and moving image. Her time-based works consist of site-specific theatrical narratives, which are often presented as projections.
BIOGRAPHY
Working with photography, film, video and choreography, Orit Ben Shitrit utilizes movement and bodies to implicate the powers that be, their mechanisms of domination, and their effect—the potential for violence.
Pulling from many historical and literary sources, Orit addresses the personal and contemplates the national in textured imagery. She engages in three main topical themes: abstract systems of political, religious, and economic control, cycles of violence, and conflicted beings trapped in bodies.
In her videos Ben Shitrit places the individual in the midst of a series of events—rituals, struggles, exorcisms—addressing the complex and covert rules of power. In MEN DIE AND THEY ARE NOT HAPPY (2010) she investigates the relationship between the State and the individual; HALF TAMED BEAST (2010) analyzes the notion of control over natural resources, such as water; the unspoken ties between art and finance is the main subject of VIVE LE CAPITAL (2010-12); while a schizophrenic response to anxiety ridden cognitive capitalism is the central issue in WARD OF THE FERAL HORSES (2013-2015). The most recent of these works sees many of the artist’s concerns and motifs realized through the use of exuberant painterly colors, patterns and layered meanings. It details the collapse of a mind trapped in a modern-day technological apparatus.
Orit has shown internationally at MACRO Museo d’arte contemporanea Roma; Museum Van Loon, Amsterdam, El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, the Herzliya Museum of Art; Biennial of Moving Image (BIM) in Buenos Aires; the RCA, London; 24C Gallery and Times Square, New York; Mana Contemporary, Miami; Videobrasil in São Paulo; The 3CL, Luxembourg; as well as in Austria, China, Germany, Finland, Russia, Slovenia and Spain.
Orit Ben Shitrit has recently served as the Film Department Chair at the San Francisco Art Institute. She is currently a mentor at Bezalel Academy Master’s Program in Fine Arts. Orit is based in New York and Jerusalem.
SELECTED SOLO AND GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
Echoes In My Mouth (solo) The Opening Gallery, Tribeca, New York, Curator: Maureen Sullivan
Conflicted, C24 Gallery, New York, Curator: David Terry (Opening July 27, 2023)
Deep Deep Down, MUDAM Luxemburg, –
Berlin Indie Film Festival
Stockholm City Film Festival
Images Festival, Toronto
2022
In place of a missing place, American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DC
Reality Check Chapter II: inner sanctum, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Dafni, Athens, Greece
Loop: Video Art Symposium, Jerusalem Theater Black Box
2021
Reality Check, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Dafni, Athens, Greece
SFAI 150, A Spirit Of Disruption, Walter & McBean Galleries, San Francisco Art Institute
Experiments in Cinema, Albuquerque, New Mexico
2020
White Columns, El que busca, encuentra…y sigue encontrando, curated by Danny Baez
CROSSROADS 2020, what do you get when you fall in love? San Francisco Cinematheque, Aug 27-Sept 30
You Belong Here, works by Orit Ben Shitrit and Nirit Takele, C24 Gallery, New York, January 30-September 2020
Tunnels of the Mind, ZAZ10TS, Times Square, New York and SFAI, San Francisco
2019
Jerusalem Self-Portrait, Museum on the Seam, Jerusalem
Another eXperiment by Women Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, New York
Measured Hate, Puffin Cultural Forum, Teaneck, New Jersey
Kinoskop: From Personal to Political Cinema, Kavka 22 gallery, Belgrade, Serbia
Crossing Boundaries, The Artum Foundation, Poland
2018
Mana Contemporary, Chicago
24:7, Dwek Gallery, Mishkenot Shaananim, Jerusalem
Garment District Art Festival, Times Square, New York
Horn Festival, Musrara school of art, Jerusalem
2017
Not That Hard, Momenta Art at Temporary Storage gallery, Brooklyn
AVIFF 2017, Art Film Festival, Cannes, France
NewFilmmakers, NY, Anthology Film Archives, New York
Group Portrait, Unisex Salon, Brooklyn
2016
BIM, Biennial of Moving Image, Museum MUNTREF, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo, Buenos Aires
Borderless: In Time, Museum Van Loon, Amsterdam
Intersections, Jerusalem International Film Festival, Experimental Section
24/7, Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, Israel (solo project)
2015
Currents 2015, El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, New Mexico
Vive Le Capital, BANK /MABSOCIETY, Shanghai
Triacontagon, 30 Years of NYFA Artists’ Fellowship Program, Westbeth Gallery, New York
WARD OF THE FERAL HORSES, Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) New York
Decomposing Hierarchies, Manhattan Bridge Anchorage, New York
Decomposing Hierarchies, Form and Substance, InterContinental, Miami
2014
Centre de Création Chorégraphique Luxembourgeois (The 3CL), Luxembourg
MANA Monumental, MANA Contemporary, Miami
CROSSBREEDS, Experimental Ground for Dance, Performance+Related Art Forms, Vienna
Are We Already Gone? Artists on the Art of Leaving, FlickerLab, New York
Loikka Dance Film Festival, Helsinki
Centrifuge, the Nathan Cummings Foundation, New York
2013
Reinventing The Future, Museo d’arte contemporanea Roma (MACRO) Rome
New Narrative Forms / Korperwelten, KINO DER KUNST, Munich
18th SESC_Videobrasil Southern Panoramas, São Paulo
Defying The Limits, San Francisco Independent Film Festival
NewFilmmakers NY, Anthology Film Archives, New York
2012
How much do I owe you? No Longer Empty, Bank of Manhattan, New York
British Council Visiting Arts, ICA London
NewFilmmakers Series at Anthology Film Archives, New York
A Prayer is a Prayer is a Prayer, Andrea Meislin Gallery, New York
(TIME: MECHANISM) live performance, ISCP, New York
Many Conversations, The Present Company, Brooklyn
2011
The Coming Community, at the Haifa Museum of Art
Physical Center, Guest Projects, London
17th SESC_Videobrasil Southern Panoramas, São Paulo
ONOMONO, experimental performance, Cristin Tierney Gallery, New York
URBAN LEGEND, Vaudeville Park, Brooklyn
Collage Logic, Governors Island, New York
2010
HALF TAMED BEAST and MEN DIE AND THEY ARE NOT HAPPY (solo) Artis non-for-profit, at ZOOM, Miami
MEN DIE AND THEY ARE NOT HAPPY, Times Square Gallery, New York
PARLOUR NO. 17, Parlour, New York
Site Unseen, Royal College of Art, London
Ghost Dance Machine, Vaudeville Park, New York
2009
Orit Ben-Shitrit/Aleksandar Duravcevic/Dejan Kaludjerovic Anna Kustera Gallery, New York
MAs Select MFAs, Times Square Gallery, New York
Collage Logic, Storefront Artist Project, Pittsfield, MA
PARLOUR NO. 11, Parlour, New York
DisEchoNance, Times Square Gallery, New York (curatorial with Jared C. Deery)
2008
American Dreams, Pace University Digital Gallery, New York
WET, Chashama, New York
TALENT PReVIEW, White Box, New York
Cryptoreal – Art and Myth, Francis Lewis Gallery, New York
ALL HALLOWS EVEN, The Gowanus Studio Space, New York
In Transition Russia 2008, National Centres of Contemporary Art, Yekaterinburg and Moscow
The Mirror Stage, Lanitis Foundation, Limassol, Cyprus
Loyal Rooftops 2008, Galerie Loyal, Kassel, Germany
Digital Media 1.0 Festival, La Nau Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
Around The Coyote/Looptopia, Chicago
2007
Loyal Rooftops 2007, Kassel, Germany
Electric Rats Dream Video Dreams, Celje, Slovenia
PIXILERATIONS [v.4]: Stories +/- Ornament, Providence, RI, USA
The Most Curatorial Biennial of the Universe, apexart, New York (curatorial)
Three-Minute Film Fest, Root Division, San Francisco
2006
What War? White Box, New York
Valentina’s, Roebling Hall, New York
2005
Poles Apart Poles Together, Parallel Project at the 51st Venice Biennale
Artists for Tsunami Relief benefit auction at Phillips de Pury & Company sponsored by the NY Daily News,
organized and curated by Orit Ben-Shitrit. 100% of funds donated to Americares.
Project Playdate, Diamonds and Oranges Gallery, New York
2004
Pixelgraphic (Solo) Reed Whipple Cultural Center, Las Vegas
The Infinite Fill Show, Foxy Production, New York
SELECTED AWARDS/RESIDENCIES/ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS
2022-present
Mentor, Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Master’s Program in Fine Arts
2020-2022
Assistant Professor and Film Department Chair, San Francisco Art Institute
Board Member, Faculty Trustee, San Francisco Art Institute (2021-present)
Committee to Reimagine, San Francisco Art Institute (2021)
Board member, San Francisco Cinematheque
2019
Adjunct Faculty, San Francisco Art Institute, Master’s of Fine Art and Bachelor’s in Film Programs
Adjunct Faculty, Photography Department, California College of the Arts (CCA)
Visiting artist, School of Visual Arts, NY
New York Foundation for the Arts Artist Advisory Committee member (2015-2019)
2017
Adjunct Faculty, Photography Department, New School/Parsons, NY (2015-2018)
Adjunct Faculty, Film and Media Dept., FIT, NY
Visiting artist, School of Visual Arts, NY
2016
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant recipient
Mana Wynwood residency
Visiting artist, School of Visual Arts
2015
Ostrovsky Family Fund Grant Recipient
Marble House Project residency
Panelist, NYFA Fiscal Sponsorship and Artist Fellowship programs
Visiting artist, School of Visual Arts
2014
Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) Residency
Visiting artist, Pratt Institute
2012
New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship in Film/Video
Ostrovsky Family Fund Grant Recipient
Artis Grant Recipient
Honorable mention, CDA-Projects Artistic Research and Production Grant, Istanbul;
selcted by Hito Steyerl, Anton Vidokle, Pauline J. Yao and Iz Oztat
Visiting artist, NYU Steinhardt Department of Art
2011
Visiting artist + master class, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2010
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Swing Space Residency
Tony Smith Award
2009
Workshop fellowship with Shirin Neshat and Shoja Azari
2008
Visiting Artist, Hunter College
COMMISSIONS
2013-2015 Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) DANCE MOViES Commission
2012 Live performance/dance, ISCP, New York
2011 Video for In Whole or in Part, a dance by Kate Corby at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
2010 Site-specific performance, Half Tamed Beast, Artis, Zoom, Miami
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY/TEXTS
Dr. Segal, Noam. In Place of a missing Place, American University Museum, Katzen Arts Center, Exhibition Catalogue, 2022.
Dr. Prapoglou, Kostas. Reality Check, Psychiatric Hospital of Attica, Dafni, Athens, 2021 and 2022. ARCHICHEARCH.COM. October 7, 2021.
Whiting, Sam. Tunnels of the Mind, San Francisco Chronicle, June 2020.
Finkelstein, David. Negotiations of the Bicameral Mind – Ward of the Feral Horses, Film International, September, 2016.
Finkelstein, David. The Dance of Money and Artists – Vive le Capital, Film International, September, 2016.
Time Out Shanghai, Critics’ Pick, The Bank Show: Vive Le Capital, 2015.
Wang, Xin. The Bank Show: Vive Le Capital, exhibition catalogue, 2015.
Tresca, Weinstein. New moves in film, Albany Times Union, January 21, 2015.
18th SESC_Videobrasil Southern Panoramas exhibition catalogue, September 2013.
Kucinski, Maria. The Brooklyn-Based Artist Explores The Balance of Power, Papercut, March 2013.
Pearlman, Ellen. Revealing the Hidden Truths of the Financial World Through Art, hyperallergic, December, 2012.
Ben-Shitrit, Orit. The TYRANNY OF TIME, Emergency INDEX, Ugly Duckling Presse. Launch at the Kitchen, March 2012.
Kepecs, Susan. Kate Corby & Dancers review, Dance Magazine, October 13, 2011.
17th SESC_Videobrasil Southern Panoramas exhibition catalogue, September 2011.
Hazut, Yeala and Weinberg, Lee. The Coming Community, exhibition catalogue, January 2011.
Laster, Paul. Checking Out ZOOM…, artbasel.aol.com, Dec 2nd, 2010.
Marisa Mazria, Katz. Focusing in on the Middle East, The Art Newspaper, Art Basel Miami Edition, December 3, 2010.
Schmitt, Amanda. amateurartcriticnyc.blogspot.com, Top 10 picks: May 2010.
Ben-Shitrit, Orit. INPUT journal, First Iteration, FRS, May 2009.
Warren, Fry. DisEchoNance, The Brooklyn Rail, March, 2009.
Crasnow, Sascha. MAs Select MFAs, exhibition catalogue, 2009.
NYFA Featured Artist January 16, 2009.
Jones, Darren. Cryptoreal – Art and Myth, exhibition catalogue, 2008.
Bleack, Helene and Colakides Yiannis. In Transition Russia 2008, exhibition catalogue, 2008.
Heartney, Eleanor. MAKING GOOD LUCK, exhibition catalogue, 2007.
Electric Rats Dream Video Dreams, exhibition catalogue, 2007.
Poles Apart / Poles Together, exhibition catalogue, 2005.
News Helps Raise 125G Tsunami Aid, NY Daily News, March 10, 2005.
Art with Heart NY Daily News, March 9, 2005.
Artnet News, March 3, 2005.
Schillaci, Kelle. Breaking it Down, Las Vegas CityLife, January 7, 2005.
Yowell, Erika. Art: Pixelgraphic by Orit Ben-Shitrit, Las Vegas Mercury, January 6, 2005.
Laster, Paul. Dreamland Artnet, August 10, 2004.
Smith, Roberta. The Infinite Fill Group Show, New York Times, August 6, 2004.
EDUCATION
MFA, Hunter College, New York (2010)
Choreography Intensive, Donna Uchizono, Movement Research, New York
BFA + AAS, FIT, New York
Study abroad, the London College of Communication