About Face(less)

‘In Between’ series kicks off with Ben Hagari

Across

1 Israeli actress working with Calvin Klein and Adidas, Kim Or _____

4. Must-visit region in the heel of the boot of Italy which boasts beautiful beaches and Lecce, the “Florence of the South”

8. Cake topper

9. Nassau is this nation’s capital

ZAZ Corner, a recently-introduced public digital gallery presented by ZAZ10TS that showcases artwork on a large LED billboard in the heart of Times Square, kicks off its latest “In Between” series with artist Ben Hagari and his pandemic-inspired “About Face” collection.

10. Place into service

11. Place for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation

​12. ​Romantic flowers

15. Word after hash and meta

17. Computer people, abbr.

18. Corporation type

Located on the corner of 41st Street and 7th Avenue, the “In Between” series of video art is a public service sponsored by Tzili Charney, owner of 10 Times Square and founder of ZAZ10TS, in an effort to have the art continue in the area for public viewing.

20. Founder of The Destination Designer, a custom travel planner and consultant, ____ Doerfler

22 . Common fraternity letter

24. Freeport-based company that created high-tech coral farms to restore dying reefs,

2 words

Hagari is an award-winning artist whose works have been shown in prominent museums around the world. At the center of his project is an expres sionless protagonist shown from the back of his head — which is shaved — and a projected face void of all facial features. His attire is worn frontside-back, and his movements are reversed.

26. Sushi selection

Down

1 Ikea recently launched this service for customers to reserve gently used products to pick up in their local store, 3 words

2 . Individual condos

3. The Masters location

28. Evening, to a poet

29. In april, The Museum of Jewish Heritage presented the Annual Gathering of _____ to send the message “we will never forget”

34. Assist

“The scenarios portray a mundane existence in a world whose marks have been erased,” Hagari said. “Books have no titles or words; photographs are blanked out; labels are removed; we are left with data. It generates a binary structure: backward and forward, front and rear, serious and funny.”

5. Concert guide

6. They’re needed to make mojitos

7. Basketball stat., abbr.

9. Neutral tone

13. Clancy’s “black ____”

14. Important number in golf

35. Stressful concerns

36. Aegean island that has been ranked as the world’s top island destination by many magazines and travel sites

The video project is shot entirely in New York City as the Tel Aviv artist was isolated and stayed in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. The character, constrained by limited expression and space, continues to navigate daily routines. The faceless protagonist found new relevance with ev eryone around wearing masks, concealing their faces and, inevitably, their facial expressions.

ZAZ Corner features a digitally activated screen with a rotating series of images and videos that in dividually morph, bringing the art to life for public street viewing. The “In Between” series will feature a rotation of artists and themes that are interspersed between commercial messages every two to three minutes.

16. “. . . and another thing”

19. Delicious sea bass

21. “___ be back”

22 . Chess set equipment

23. “Dr. No” author Fleming

24. Personal belief system

25. Religious teacher

27. Former medical TV series

30. School on the Charles River, abbr.

31. Do a marathon, say

32 . Diamondbacks on scoreboards

33. Bismarck’s state