30,000 Flowers and Lives Changed – Zadok Ben-David on Installation Art at Scale
Episode 35
Anastasia Parmson, Zadok Ben-David
1/6/20263 min read
Try Descript: https://get.descript.com/s8kjemvu79fz
An in-depth conversation with award-winning sculptor and installation artist Zadok Ben-David, whose practice spans delicate miniature work to large-scale public installations. From his early beginnings in Yemen and Israel to representing his country at the Venice Biennale, Zadok shares the philosophical and practical journey behind his internationally acclaimed work. Discover how he transforms metal into poetic metaphors exploring human nature, evolution, and our relationship with the natural world (and how one installation changed a stranger's life forever).
Key insights from this episode:
• The path from abstract expressionism at St Martin's School of Art to creating massive figurative installations
• How 30,000 hand-painted flowers became one of the world's most travelled installations and the team of assistants who helped create them
• Behind the scenes of installing work across five continents, from prisoners in Germany to 70 assistants in Uzbekistan
• The commercial strategy that funds large-scale installations through smaller original works
• Why Zadok turned down a $1 million public art commission to maintain artistic integrity
• The profound moment when his Blackfield installation helped a Holocaust survivor find hope again
Zadok Ben-David is based in London and Portugal. You can find out more about his work on his website https://www.zadokbendavid.com/ and follow him on Instagram @zadokstudio https://www.instagram.com/zadokstudio/
Exhibition “FLOWERS. Art from the Renaissance to Artificial Intelligence” in Rome until 22 February 2026: https://www.chiostrodelbramante.it/post_mostra/flowers-flowers-art/
03:27 Work-Life Balance Insights
06:15 Journey to Art and Family Influence
09:17 Art School Challenges and Triumphs
10:19 Moving to London and Early Struggles
15:15 Discovering Sculpture and Teaching
21:06 First Installations
25:17 Animal Metaphors in Art
34:25 Global Exhibitions and Unique Experiences
38:23 Commercial Aspects of Art
40:33 People I Saw, But Never Met
44:58 Art Installations Around the World
48:58 The Other Side of Midnight
54:44 Challenges in Art Installations
01:04:37 The Healing Power of Art
01:11:40 Upcoming Exhibitions and Contact Information
Also mentioned in this episode:
Anish Kapoor: https://anishkapoor.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/dirty_corner/
Jerusalem Art Academy: https://www.bezalel.ac.il/en | https://www.instagram.com/bezalel_academy | @bezalelacademyofartanddesi1460
University of Reading: https://www.reading.ac.uk/ | https://www.instagram.com/uniofreading/ | @UniofReading
Chelsea College of Arts: https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/chelsea-college-of-arts | https://www.instagram.com/unioftheartslondon/ | @UniversityoftheArtsLondon
Central Saint Martins: https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/central-saint-martins | https://www.instagram.com/unioftheartslondon/ | @UniversityoftheArtsLondon
Anthony Caro: https://www.anthonycaro.org/ | https://www.instagram.com/anthonycarocentre/
Aesop: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesop's_Fables
Krylov: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Krylov's_fables
Kröller-Müller Museum: https://krollermuller.nl/en | https://www.instagram.com/krollermullermuseum/
Kunsthal Rotterdam: https://www.kunsthal.nl/en/#tijdlijn-2026-03 | https://www.instagram.com/kunsthal/ | @KunsthalRotterdam
Art Gallery of Uzbekistan: https://uzbekistan1.com/art-gallery-of-uzbekistan/
Neanderthal Museum: https://neanderthal.de/en | https://www.instagram.com/neanderthalmuseum/ |@NeanderthalMuseum
Sculpture by the Sea: https://sculpturebythesea.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/sculpturebythesea | @sculpturebythesea
National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan: https://nmrk.kz/en/ | @qazaqstanrespyblkasynynult9862
Annandale Galleries: https://annandalegalleries.com.au/ | https://www.instagram.com/annandalegalleries/
Ploshchad Mira Museum Center: https://mira1.ru/about | @na_mira1
Krasnoyarsk Museum Biennale: https://biennale.ru/
Joseph Beuys: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Beuys
GYRE: https://gyre-omotesando.com/en/ | https://www.instagram.com/gyre_omotesando/ | @gyreTV
Chiostro del Bramante: https://www.chiostrodelbramante.it/post_mostra/flowers-flowers-art/ | https://www.instagram.com/chiostrodelbramante_roma | @chiostrodelbramante
Andreas Gursky: https://www.andreasgursky.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/andreasgursky_official
Ai Weiwei: https://www.aiweiwei.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/aiww/
The Installation Art Podcast is a show about people who love and work with the contemporary art medium of installation. The host Anastasia Parmson, an artist herself, interviews internationally renowned artists and arts workers about the intricacies and behind-the-scenes stories of creating and showing work that is site-specific, ephemeral, large scale or immersive
🗣️ Join the conversation in our Linkedin group The Installation Art Society, a space for conversations about installation art and a platform for practitioners to share insights, discuss technical aspects, and exchange behind-the-scenes stories: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14532340/
