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Israeli artists Maya Gelfman and Roie Avidan started Mind the Heart in response to their observation that as we get used to our surroundings, we no longer pay attention to them. We become less connected with the world around us, missing the changes that occur over time and the fleeting moments of beauty and wonder that can surprise us even in the most mundane moments. With this realization, the artists went out into the streets of their hometown of Tel Aviv and placed little red yarn hearts to mark spots that merited attention. They highlighted the beauty in decay, the order in chaos, the magic in the ordinary, the soul in things. They have since added other motifs and materials, but the little tangled heart has remained the core symbol of the project.

Mind the Heart started in 2009 in the streets of Tel Aviv and has since reached more than 40 cities worldwide – from Sydney to London, Paris to Bangkok, and the Israel National Museum to orphanages in Kenya and Uganda. Now Gelfman and Avidan are taking their art on the road, traveling across the United States from August 2017 to August 2018, handing out thousands of red yarn hearts along with a simple mission: to go and put it out there.

On Sept. 30, Decatur residents were invited to join the Heart Community, becoming artists for a day to mark a spot of significance and share the story behind it with the world. Their photos and stories will be on display at the Decatur Arts Alliance Gallery through Oct. 31.

For more information about the project and to view the collected stories of the Heart Community, visit the Mind the Heart website.

Opening Reception
Friday, Oct. 6
6-8 pm
at the Decatur Arts Alliance Gallery / Decatur Visitors Center
113 Clairemont Ave.
Decatur, GA 30030

On View
Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-4 pm

Sponsored by: 

 

 

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