Distance is not the problem people expect it to be. The problem is usually the opposite: a contractor in Israel finishing on his own schedule, a designer sending photos while you are asleep, and nobody holding the art as one whole. What you need is one person who thinks in both places, speaks both languages, and stays responsible until the last work is on the wall. That is what I do.

I managed a gallery in Tel Aviv, and I trained at Tel Aviv University and Ben-Gurion University, so the Israeli artists and galleries I call are people I have worked with, not names from a search.

How it works from abroad

• Discovery happens where you are. We meet in New York or New Jersey, in person or on video, in the language you think in. I want to know how you live in the house in Israel, who uses which rooms, what you already own, and what you want to feel when you walk in from the airport.
• Research and curatorial development happen on my side. I work from the plans, the designer's material, and photos of the site. You see a concept for the house and a shortlist per room, with scale shown on your own walls, before anything is bought.
• Sourcing is worldwide, not only local. For homes in Israel I have brought works from France, commissioned an artist in Italy, placed a photograph by a Korean artist, and worked directly with Israeli artists and leading galleries. Where the art comes from follows the story, not the shipping route.
• Logistics and installation happen on site. Shipping, import, framing and hanging are coordinated with the site in Israel. You can be there for the installation, or land to a finished house.

The process is the same seven steps as every project: discovery, research, curatorial development, budget planning, art procurement and selection, logistics, installation. I assess market value and negotiate on your behalf, and because many works come through direct relationships with artists, the cost of the art itself is often lower than the gallery price.

Four homes in Israel

Caesarea, private estate

For a private collector I sourced large scale artworks from France, with layered pigments and 18k gold detailing. The work involved close collaboration with a leading gallery and price negotiations on the collector's behalf, and my guidance was aligned with both taste and long term investment goals. This is the kind of project where the buyer's location matters least and the advisor's relationships matter most.

Herzliya Pituach, sea view apartment

Near the entrance I placed a large scale painting by Yigal Ozeri depicting an aged, textured window, positioned in dialogue with the sea facing windows. Sculptural elements and organic textures run through the rest of the home. A painted window answering a real one is the kind of decision that only works if someone has stood in the apartment and looked both ways.

Ramat Gan, private home

After a trip to Korea that had changed something for the client, I found a large format photograph by a Korean artist depicting two figures in ceremonial dress, and placed it at the heart of the living space. The line that stays with me from that project is a short one: it gives it memory. That is the whole point of a home you do not live in year round. The art should hold what the house means to you when you are not in it.

Caesarea, sea view villa

For a homeowner who had come to Israel as a new immigrant, I commissioned a 3.5 meter triptych from an Italian artist. Three storks stand at its center, symbolizing homecoming, strength and belonging, and echoing both the owner's own journey and the seasonal migration of storks through Israel. A commission of that scale, made abroad for a specific wall in Caesarea, is exactly the kind of work that needs one person managing it end to end.

What I need from you

Floor plans or a site survey, photos of the rooms in daylight, whatever your designer has, and an honest budget range. If you are in the New York area, one meeting in person. If you are traveling to Israel soon, tell me the dates, and I will plan the site visit or the installation around them.

Fees

Art advisors in the industry typically charge by the hour, a flat project fee, or a percentage of acquisitions. I do not publish a rate. I quote each project after a first conversation, based on scope.

How to start

Write to Stav@stavtheodor.com or use the contact form, in Hebrew or English, and send one photo of the wall you think about most. For the home on this side of the ocean, read what I do for a Manhattan apartment or when art should come into a new build in Bergen County.