The Phoenix Group

The Phoenix Group is supporting Freshpaint Fair – the largest and most influential art and design event in Israel, for the second year in a row.

The Phoenix, Israel’s most valuable investment, insurance, credit and finance group, was founded by the late David Hackmey in 1949. Since its inception, the Phoenix has focused on their personal and dedicated attitude towards their clients, protecting their clients present and future security, and meeting their needs in all areas of life. As a leading organization, the Phoenix is committed to continuing its work for public causes and the well-being of the community by supporting and sponsoring institutions and individuals in the fields of culture, education, health and sports.

The Phoenix Group supports Freshpaint as part of the group’s social activities supporting Israeli culture, and as part of the commitment to encourage young Israeli artists at the beginning of their career to grow and develop.

To this day, the Phoenix owns the largest private Israeli art collection in Israel, gathered by Joseph Hackmey, owner and CEO of the Phoenix until the 1990s. The Phoenix began purchasing works of art in the 1980s with the aim of building a diverse and cohesive collection of Israeli art for generations. The collection is of great importance in the local art scene, as it contributes in areas such as nurturing young artists and helping to produce books on Israeli art. The collection, which was exhibited at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, is now considered one of the most comprehensive and finest of its kind in Israel and abroad, and the most important collection of Israeli art outside conventional museums.

The Phoenix Group’s collection includes over 1,500 works in various mediums: painting, sculpture, video, and installation. Chronologically, it includes works from the middle of the 19th century, with the beginning of photography as a medium, to the present day. Each decade is represented with selected works from the best artists of the period. This is a historical collection, reflecting the history of Israeli art and making it possible to follow its continuous development over the past century. Among the artists represented in the collection:  Reuven Rubin, Mordecai Ardon, Yehezkel Streichman, Lea Nikel, Josef Zaritsky, Menashe Kadishman, Raffi Lavie and Yair Garbuz.