Ariel Bronz
Ariel Bronz is a theatre creator, performance artist, poet, playwright, actor, and activist born in Ukraine, living in Tel Aviv.
He is the author of more than 40 stage and site specific performances and is a recipient of the 2018 Rosenblum Prize for Performing Arts, despite the objections of the Israeli Minister of Culture.
His wide range of works quickly gained him public and critical acclaim, making him one of the most controversial artists in Israel today. These performances are known to immediately make waves, with some reaching cult status. His plays have been presented in various theaters in Israel and around the world.
Since 2015, he has been the house director of Clipa Theatre and a theatre instructor at Nissan Nativ Acting Studio.
Works
In his work, Bronz tackles complex social-political topics and issues that tend to be repressed in society. His targets of criticism vary from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands to its inevitable results: militarism, violence, conservatism, and racism.He exploits elements from pop culture, trash, mainstream media, and theatre to make his harsh message possible to swallow. Abounding with images, symbols, taboos, and cliches, his art creates a synthesis between reality being an absurd scenario and the most exaggerated fiction as a possible and even probable reality.
Bronz’s works are characterized by a constant examination of boundaries: he gleefully crosses the boundaries of good taste and uses artistic traps and provocations to shake the audience out of its apathy.
Controversies
The Flag
In 2016, Bronz was invited by Haaretz to perform at the Tel Aviv Museum as part of his show "Love the Juice" at the "Israel Conference for Culture," both addressing freedom of speech. The audience, who didn't understand the satirical nature of the show, became angry—disrupting and trying to cut short the performance. Trying to control the turmoil, the organizers and security stepped in, attempting to stop the show by turning off the lights and sound and removing the set. Bronz refused to stop the performance before its proper ending, and at the last moment, understanding that the organizers who had invited him and the raging audience would not let him finish his performance, he grabbed the national flag and stuck it in his bottom. The action infuriated the audience, and Bronz was escorted out by security.This act made headlines all over the world, led to harsh comments from right-wing figures, and resulted in threats to his and his family's lives. He received a police complaint filed by the Culture Minister's office and was accused of harming national symbols, public indecency, and disturbance of public order. For years following the incident, Bronz was isolated from the local art scene and was treated as persona non grata. In his interrogation, Bronz claimed that the move was improvised, inspired by a Russian saying. In May 2020, the case was closed.
Locked
Another performative act that made waves in the media and Israeli discourse is Bronz's "Locked" series. Between 2016-2020, on every Holocaust Memorial Day, he would chain himself around the neck and hang himself from different national memorial monuments, in protest against the Israeli government ignoring Holocaust survivors' rights and occupying Palestinian lands. This series of performances draws a straight line between two seemingly unrelated topics: the last Holocaust survivors being neglected in Israel and Palestinians being persecuted in their own land.Each one of these acts led to him being interrogated and arrested, as well as receiving death threats. He was labeled by the Minister of Culture as a "symbol of slander" after receiving the Rosenblum Prize for his artistic practice from the Tel Aviv mayor in 2018.
Artistic Output
| Year | English title | Original title | Type | Role |
| 2025 | Yes! | כן | Film by Nadav Lapid | Y |
| 2025 | The Sand | החול | Short film by Ayal Roe and Shahar Deke | Elisha |
| 2025 | Because of the Language Barrier | מפאת זרות השפה | Short film by Tamar Peled | Yigal |
| 2025 | Souls | נשמות | Play by Itay Tiran, Based on a book by Roy Chen, Gesher Theatre | Grischa, Getz, Gedalya, Jemol |
| 2016 | FOREVER/NEVER | FOREVER/NEVER | Play by Idit Herman, UNIDRAM Festival | |
| 2016 | The Walk to the Gallows of Clown X | עלייתו לגרדום של ליצן X | Play by Eldad Fribs, Tel Aviv-Yafo City Museum | Guest performance |
| 2014 | The Kindergarten Teacher (2014 film) | הגננת | Film by Nadav Lapid | |
| 2014 | Shahar Abutbul | שחר אבוטבול | Play by Or Nadav Argov, Tmuna Theatre | Shahar Abutbul |
| 2014 | Humor | הומור | Short film by Tal Zagreba | |
| 2012-2013 | Humpty Dumpty | המפטי דמפטי | Play by Dina Blich, Tmuna Theatre, Patneka Theatre | Salvador Dali |
| 2012 | ?ToHim? | ?ולו? | Play by Martin Mogilner, Acer Festival | The Director |
| 2011 | Policeman | שוטר | Film by Nadav Lapid | |
| 2011 | Catch the Spy | תפסו את המרגל | Play by Ram Rahamim |
Poetry
- His debut poetry book "No Other" will be published in 2026
- His poems have been published in "Haaretz," "Maariv," and ""
- Guest poet at Tel Aviv Poetry Festival, 2016
Biography
Bronz was born in Odessa in 1984. His father is a Holocaust survivor. Bronz immigrated to Israel in 1990. He is a graduate of the Nissan Nativ acting studio, Yoram Levenstein Acting School and the Minshar School of Art.Since 2015, he has been the house director of Clipa Theatre.
He has been teaching the Shakespeare course at the Nissan Nativ Acting Studio in Tel Aviv since 2013.