Do I stay, or do I go? That’s the new dilemma facing artists trained in this Mediterranean metropolis. Once the decision was easy: Talented types went to New York, London and Berlin. But the home market is looking up. March brought the debut of Fresh Paint, the first Israeli art fair, which featured 16 galleries as well as 70 independent artists. Established contemporary galleries like Sommer and Dvir continue to shine internationally, and 10 newcomers have opened in the past year, including D&A Gallery and Florentin 45. Further energy was provided by this fall’s biennialesque Art TLV, which included an outpost in the most-happening part of the city: Rothschild Boulevard, packed with Bauhaus-style buildings and some 15 art spaces.

"Hot Spot: Tel Aviv" originally appeared in the December 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's December 2008 Table of Contents.