Together with his wife and two children, Ben-Ner filmed “Stealing Beauty” in various Ikea showrooms across three continents. In the film, the Ben-Ner family “occupies” the standardized, fully furnished rooms of the furniture chain Ikea. The store spaces function as a film set where the family members act out various domestic scenes in front of a hidden camera. For example, when father and mother Ben-Ner learn of a theft committed by their son. Surrounded by the Billys, the Klippans, and the shoppers, they attempt to instill in him morals and values, and the young son receives a lesson in the concept of rightful ownership. When the Ikea staff makes an appearance and asks the family causing the nuisance to leave the store, the family continues the discussion in another branch.

In his films, Ben-Ner often blurs the lines between the family’s secure, private world and public space. In “Stealing Beauty,” the artist takes over a section of public space and transforms it into the family’s domestic domain.

The family scene, staged against the backdrop of the Ikea showroom, always took place without the consent of the store staff. In this way, Ben-Ner seems to want to question the concept of territory.

The artist, who currently lives and works in Berlin as a DAAD artist, won first prize at the KunstFilmBiennale at the Museum Ludwig in Cologne for “Stealing Beauty.” In 2005, he represented Israel at the Venice Biennale, and last summer his work was on display at “Skulptur Projekte” in Münster. Ben-Ner has also had solo exhibitions at the Herzliya Museum of Art in Jerusalem, the Julie M. Gallery in Tel Aviv, and the Postmasters Gallery in New York.

At the Impakt Event on Sunday, January 20th, Ben-Ner will present several other films besides “Stealing Beauty.”