Roy Chicky Arad engages in art, prose, poetry, filmmaking and journalism.
Poetry
Chicky has published three books. In his first book, “The Nigger”, he formed a Hebrew adaptation of the Japanese “Haiku”, named “Kimo”. Rather than using the 5,7,5 syllabic orientation as in the “Haiku” verse, Chicky uses a 10,7,6 structure i.e. 10 syllables on the first line, 7 on the second, and 6 on the third (Kimo in Wikipedia). In 2004 he published "Paintings and poems 2000-2003" by Tal Esther Gallery, Shadurian and helped by "Rabinowich Fund"
Chicky’s poem “The owl” which deals with the destruction of the Israeli urban city centre in favor of giant shopping malls, interlacing elements of ancient eastern Gods, was a part of beautiful artist Michal Helfman’s work in the Venice Art Biennale.
Editor of "Maayan" (Spring), a hebrew magazine for Poetry, literature, art and ideas, "a house for new art".
Art
As an artist, Chicky usually utilizes the “Paint” software, a basic program designated for the use of children. He usually prints his low-tech works on enormous sizes, up to 6 X 4 meters.
Chicky’s first exhibition consisted of 30 old personal computers, presenting his works on screens. He considers the “Tal Esther” gallery in Tel-Aviv as his home gallery.
With Rafram Hadad and Lance Hunter, Chicky helped to organize "One Pink Rose" a Mega-Exhibition in Israeli military jail inside the cells of the conscientious objectors whom refuse to serve inside the occupied territories.
Music
In the year 2000, as a member of the pop-dance group “Pingpong”, Chicky participated in the Eurovision song contest, which is regarded with immense seriousness in Israel. As soon as the selection of the group to represent Israel was announced, a lot of criticism was drawn.
When on stage, in front of millions of viewers, the band members waved the national flags of both Israel and Syria, in order to present the natural longing for peace with Israel’s northern neighbour. In addition, group members displayed hints of bisexual acts.
The performance aroused a big debate in Israel large-scale condemnation of the group, resulting in Chicky getting fired from a television spot he used to present, and an Israeli radio and television ban over the group’s songs.
The happenings of Chicky in the Eurovision song contest were portrayed in the moving documentary “Happy Story” (Dir. by Alon Weinstock, Channel 8).
In 2004 Chicky started to work with the American label Comfort Stand. His first release was "Tourists, come to Israel, it's a nice country EP".
On 7th January 2005 Chicky released two different albums: "Monster", in Comfortstand, together with the French musician Chenard Walcker. And "Sputnik in Love" in the dutch label "WMRecordings", the first album he produced himself. In July 2005 chicky released "I Vanunu" with Chenard Walcker (Freesamplezone, Paris) and in 2006 his fifth solo album, "Good Friends" (Birdsong, Israel).
Roy Arad, 2006. Pic: Tamar Eisenberg
Scriptwriting
Roy Chicky Arad has written, along with Shaul Betzer, the script for the film “Big Tuna”. The film deals with a phenomenon unique to Israel – The massive success of the candid-camera movie genre in the 1970’s. This 50 minute long Mocumentary features a made-up candid-camera director, named Max Tuna Schreiber. The movie was broadcast on Channel 2, the main T.V channel in Israel and also in Contra Costa Festival, California, Barcelona film festival, and Habait Haisraeli, Paris.
Chicky played in Joshua simon's movies "The Radicals" and "City Hole" and in Billy Levy video.
Activism
Roy Arad is one of the presidents of the “Free Academy” which conducts lectures and poetry readings in surreal locations, such as McDonald’s branches and grocery stores, and publishes three magazines: "Maayan", Archisex" (For sex and architecture) and "Maayani".
In 2001, during the peak of Intifadah, Chicky was amongst the founders of the “Rave Against Occupation” assembly, which organized protest-parties of Arab and Israeli youth against the 1967 occupation.
General
Roy Chicky Arad was born in Beer-Sheva. Today he lives and creates in Tel-Aviv. Chicky, a former music journalist, works for living as a co-editor of a monthly supplement of "Globes", the Israeli Financial Times.