Amichai Chasson (also Amichai Hasson, Hebrew: עמיחי חסון; born 1987) is an Israeli poet, curator and filmmaker. Since 2015, Chasson has served as the artistic director and chief curator at the Beit Avi Chai cultural museum in Jerusalem.[1][2]
Chasson lives in the Katamon neighborhood of Jerusalem with his wife Dr. Miriam Chasson (sister of filmmaker Ori Elon and daughter of author Emuna Elon and rabbi Binyamin Elon). The couple has two sons and a daughter.[6]
His first book of poetry, "Talking with Home" (Hebrew: מדבר עם הבית), was published in 2015, and won the Minister of Culture's prize that year. In 2018, his second book, "Bli ma" (Hebrew: בלי מה), was published by the veteran Bialik Institute Press. His poems often deal with the tension between his religious faith and artistic sensibilities, and stand on the border between cultures, identities, sources and places.[8]
In 2018, Nechama Rivlin presented the First Lady's Prize and the Dr Gardner Simon Prize for Hebrew Poetry to Chasson for his book "Bli ma", at a ceremony at the President's Residence in Jerusalem.[9][10][11] A year later, the book was placed on the shortlist of finalists for the Brenner Prize for poetry.
In 2013, Chasson co-directed the documentary film "Footsteps in Jerusalem", a tribute to the late Israeli documentary filmmaker David Perlov.[12] In 2018, he released a documentary film about the poet Avoth Yeshurun,[13] called "Yeshurun in 6 Chapters" (Hebrew: ישורון: 6 פרקי אבות), which premiered at the Docaviv International Documentary Film Festival that same year.[14] He has written and directed a number of films and TV series, including "The Conductor" ("Hamenatzeach") and "Iron Dome" ("Kipat Barzel"). In 2019, he participated in the Intellectual Incubator for Documentary Filmmakers convention at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute.[15]
Chasson served in a number of public offices, including jury judge for the Sapir Prize in Literature in 2020, and in 2021 serving as a member of the Israel Film Council [he] and Mifal HaPais Council for the Culture and Arts.
Awards and recognition
Amichai Chasson in a Beit HaNassi ceremony on December 19, 2018
2016 – Ronny Someck: Tow time Chai (exhibition and catalogue: curator and editor, Amichai Chasson), Beit Avi Chai, Jerusalem[19]
2018 – Joel Kantor: Night Guard (exhibition and catalogue: curator and editor, Amichai Chasson), Beit Avi Chai, Jerusalem[20]
2019 – Emerging from the shadows: the photographs of Sarah Ayal (exhibition and catalogue: curator and editor, Amichai Chasson), Beit Avi Chai and The Knesset, Jerusalem[21]
2022 – Marek Yanai: On the Threshold (exhibition and catalogue: curator and editor, Amichai Chasson), Beit Avi Chai, Jerusalem[22][23]
2023 – Anatoli Kaplan: The Enchanted Artist (exhibition Curator and catalogue editor: David Rozenson, Amichai Chasson), Beit Avi Chai, Jerusalem
2024 - Pinchas Litvinovsky: You Must Choose Life—That is Art" (exhibition and catalogue: curator and editor, Amichai Chasson), Beit Avi Chai, Jerusalem
