Hostage Square

Silent Cries. A deeply personal responsibility.

In August 2024, Avi Tal / SPINE B7 was invited to contribute to Hostage Square Chicago during the Democratic National Convention. His painting, Silent Cries, formed part of a collective installation bringing the hostages and their families into public view through art.

Avi chose to paint Kfir and Ariel Bibas, the brothers abducted from Nir Oz with their mother, Shiri, during the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023. The children and their teddy bears are set against a dark background, with a chain crossing the composition. The work was created in 2024 as a call for their return. In February 2025, Israeli authorities confirmed that the boys had been murdered by Hamas terrorists in captivity. That devastating confirmation gives the painting a further weight as an act of remembrance.

For Avi, this remains one of the most meaningful projects of his life. Being invited to place his work in the service of such a human cause was a tremendous honour and a profound responsibility. The warmth of the welcome, the trust placed in him and the respect he received as an artist left a lasting impression. His gratitude is inseparable from the reason for being there: to give these children a presence, and to stand alongside the families through his work.

Avi extends his heartfelt thanks to Jeff Aeder, who brought the initiative together with the Israeli-American Council (IAC), and to everyone who helped make it possible. He is deeply grateful that they chose to create this space, and that he was invited to take part in an effort he felt was necessary and right.

Background: KAN News report on Kfir and Ariel Bibas (Hebrew) ↗

View the organiser’s project document ↗