How Things Work is the name of a series of books from the sixties that has been lying on
the shelf in Shony Rivnay’s studio for many years. It was also the name of Rivnay’s solo
exhibition at Tavi Dresdner Gallery, Tel Aviv in 2008. There are many differences between
that early show and the current one, both materialistically and stylistically. However, his
decision to use the same name, with the addition of the date, 2018, is an indication that his
work is in continuous progress, a series of chapters, volumes or editions — developing
certain concepts.
The original book series, which Rivnay comes back to time and again, belongs to the
literary genre of popular science. As such, it includes a broad scope of illustrated
explanations designed to feed the average reader’s curiosity about the mechanisms of
natural systems, machines and vehicles. Similarly, Rivnay’s creative practice demonstrates
a basic urge to observe the world, dissect it into particles and understand its inner logic.
Curator: Nogah Davidson
