Rather than bring an installation or pre-planned exhibition to London Design Biennale, Israel presented the act of designing itself. Exposed Nerves was a multidisciplinary rapid-response design studio whose reflective design routine highlights identity, cultural and social issues. The studio featured four creators at any given time, with the creative process as well as the discussions, sketches, and conclusions all on display to the public. “The installation puts both the creators and the audience in an ever-changing emotional state because of the fragility and the delicacy of the meeting point,” said curator Hila Shaltieli.

“Everyday life in Israel is tough and hectic,” she added. “The daily routine is characterised by a lack of security, both mental and physical. There are ongoing emotional and deeply rooted political, ideological, and theological disagreements and controversies between the various groups comprising Israeli society. All of these crash into the daily routine and shake it to its core.”

This is the context in which Israeli designers created – “from the ability to work fast, to improvise, and to jump from one thing to another all the way to skipping the details and leaving work sometimes unfinished.” It, therefore, seemed natural to bring an evolving exhibition rather than a pre-meditated one. “We asked to bring the live centre of design-making to the Biennale – because this morning’s results might be irrelevant by lunchtime.”