“In 2014, when artist and founder Itamar Shimshony became a father to his firstborn son, he created a humorous and ironic pop-up exhibition made entirely out of toys. A few months later, he was invited to an artist residency in New Jersey. On his first day at the studio, he found himself standing in a huge empty space with one big question: What do you need? The very next day, two large trucks unloaded second-hand toys at his doorstep. That moment became the turning point—the realization that the studio was no longer just an artist’s workspace, but rather a factory. A place where his biggest dream could come true: to create through play and joy, together with people, and in doing so give art a new meaning. That is how his life’s work was born: CityFactory.

CityFactory opened in 2021 as a participatory art factory that invited the public to take part both as workers and as audience. The first factory was launched at MoBY – Museums of Bat Yam, curated by Hila Cohen-Schneiderman. Two years later, a second factory opened at the New Teddy Artists’ Studios Gallery in Jerusalem, curated by Tamar Gispan-Greenberg, in collaboration with the Ginogli Center for Visual Art, as part of the Israel Festival. Between factories, the team continues working with the communities formed through these projects, creating participatory production lines, running art workshops, and developing new artistic practices.

Our work is grounded in the idea that art is a collective and participatory act—with the power to strengthen, empower, share, and to encourage every participant who takes part in it. We believe that everyone can engage in art; the only question is how. We work across the country, aiming to connect people and communities of all kinds, and to collaborate with a diverse range of participants.

Our goal is to create new art, to transform art from a luxury into an everyday necessity, to enrich imagination, and to cultivate creative thinking. We strive to make art accessible to new audiences, to form artistic communities within cities, and—above all—to have fun. Through an open, inclusive, and educational artistic space, participants are invited to explore new materials, create alongside others, set chaos aside, and broaden their horizons.”