The Rakia mission, in which the astronaut Eytan Stibbe took off to the International Space Station as a member of the AX-1 crew, was designed to arouse curiosity and creativity through the human journey into outer space. It is dedicated to recognizing the potential of exploring the universe, raising awareness of the importance of preserving the Earth, while deepening international collaborations and advancing the space industry.

As part of the study of human essence and the limits of the human imagination, art has accompanied the human journey into space since its inception. Art symbolizes human fantasy about space, about the future of humanity in space, especially in unique conditions such as sixteen sunrises a day. The work of the artist Ronit Etrog tells an imaginative story that drew inspiration from it:

The journey to space is inspiring and activates the imagination.

The people at the ISS experienced sixteen sunrises and sunsets a day, an exciting and extraordinary experience, occurring only in outer space.

Personally, distant journeys into the unknown have always fascinated me.

The first series of paintings depicts the changing sky at sunrise from a point of view - of earth.

And in the second series of paintings are painted travelers, explorers of worlds.

These paintings are based on photographs I took during my travels to distant and unfamiliar areas.

In these series of oil paintings, an impression of a temporary, perishable event is created, and almost disappears - like the memories we have left from distant travels…

Ronit Etrog

Born in 1957, a graduate of the HaMidrasha – Faculty of the Arts. An artist who presents solo exhibitions in Israel and around the world.

Traveler and a tour guide. In recent years she has lived and painted on various islands throughout the Mediterranean.