Ayelet Dekel from the blog Midnighteast writes:
"And in the midst of all this is a piano, dramatically covered in red velvet, in the center of the bar. Created by Assaf Shatil in cooperation with Musica Nova, I found this installation irresistible. Shatil composed music inspired by the popular song Next Year (BaShana Haba’a) by composer Nurit Hirsh, with lyrics by Ehud Manor. Many Israelis will identify with the experience of singing this song, year after year, a folk icon of new year’s celebration, that looks ahead to a rosy future that never arrives. If the song once represented hope, at best it now signifies the opposite. Brilliantly deconstructed, Shatil’s composition is activated by the movement of people in the bar: movement close to the piano triggers sound. Music happens, inadvertently, by people passing through. Music can be created by one’s actions. We can make things happen. We don’t have control over the outcome, but we can make things happen. And so much fun! Full and proper disclosure: I really like installations that let me play. Concept, sound, and visual elements work so well in this piece – I wish it was a permanent fixture in the bar! Or somewhere."
