James S. Snyder in Conversation with Ruth Patir

A public conversation at The Betsy Hotel brings museum leadership and contemporary artistic practice into dialogue around work shaped on the international stage.

Held in The Gallery at The Betsy in South Beach, this evening features James S. Snyder, Helen Goldsmith Menschel Director of the Jewish Museum, in conversation with artist Ruth Patir. The discussion centers on Patir’s site-specific installation (M)Otherland, created for the Israel Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale and recently acquired by the Jewish Museum, where it will make its U.S. premiere in 2026.

The conversation situates (M)Otherland within Patir’s broader practice, which blends documentary imagery with computer-generated visuals to question how reality, memory and power are constructed in contemporary life. Drawing from personal and autobiographical starting points, Patir’s work expands into wider reflections on gender politics, technology and systems of representation, offering new ways of reading the present through hybrid visual forms.

Snyder brings a global museum perspective to the exchange, informed by decades of leadership at institutions including the Jewish Museum, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and the Museum of Modern Art. His career spans curatorial innovation, institutional growth and international cultural dialogue, providing context for how large-scale exhibitions circulate, evolve and resonate beyond their original settings.

The program takes place Saturday, February 7 at The Betsy - South Beach. An architectural landmark on Ocean Drive, The Betsy is known for its longstanding commitment to the arts, hosting conversations, exhibitions and performances that position the hotel as a cultural hub alongside its beachfront setting. Space is limited, with reservations available on a first-come, first-served basis.