History and collections

The Tel Aviv Museum of Art is one of the most important museums in Israel. The municipal museum was founded in 1932 by Tel Aviv's first mayor Meir Dizengoff in his private home and is now the country's most important exhibition venue for modern art. The focus is on the Impressionists of the late 19th century and modern art of the first half of the 20th century. The unique profile of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art results from the combination of works by Israeli and international artists. Tania Coen-Uzzielli has been the director of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art since 2019.

The collection of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art has expanded remarkably since its foundation thanks to numerous donations from artists, collectors and friends from all over the world. Accordingly, the locations and buildings have also developed continuously. The museum is currently divided between three buildings in the center of the city: the main building on Shaul Hamelech Boulevard, the Helena Rubinstein Pavilion and the Herta and Paul Amir building, which also houses the Gallery of German Friends. In addition, the museum has extended exhibition areas such as the sculpture garden.

The museum sees itself as a platform for contemporary art and boundary-breaking forms of expression such as photography, video, fashion, design and architecture. Through modern museum work, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art consciously appeals to all social strata of the ethnic groups living in Israel and has become firmly established in the public consciousness. Interdisciplinary cultural events, conferences, concerts, dance and film events take place regularly on the stages and in the auditorium of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and enjoy great popularity far beyond the borders of Tel Aviv.

In addition to the current exhibitions, the museum houses the following collections: