May 15, 2008 -- The online backgammon website Play65 is one of the leading sponsors of a special backgammon art exhibition in the honor of Israel's 60th independence day. "The Art of Reconciliation" uses the backgammon game as a metaphor for the young country's wish for peace and reconciliation and the backgammon boards as an empty canvas. You can catch the result at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on Washington, D.C. from May 12th until May 18th, 2008 or browse the exhibition website, designed and developed by Play65 team.

"The Art of Reconciliation" is a collaboration of the Israel's Embassy in Washington DC, The B'nai B'rith Center for Jewish Culture and the online backgammon website Play65. Based in Israel, Play65 is one of the exhibition's main sponsors and the creator of the exhibition website that contains the images of the 62 art pieces, artists' biographies and the exhibition calendar of events. The entire exhibition, conveniently "constructed as a 'suitcase exhibition' designed especially for mobility" (in the words of the curators and exhibition producers Ayelet Biran and Doron Polak) will be moved to Israel in August.

The unique platform of the backgammon board and the special occasion of Israel's 60th anniversary, brought many of the artists participating in the "The Art of Reconciliation" to refer to the war aspect in the backgammon game (such as the wrestlers painted on Haya Graetz Ran's backgammon box), while expressing hope for peace and reconciliation in the area. Other repeating motives include Jewish symbols and local attributes such as "Hamsa", the open palm mascot depicted in Anat Strul's backgammon board or the Star of David and the crescent on Ora Shmuel art object.

According to the "The Art of Reconciliation" curators and producers, "backgammon -- more than a game where the purpose is to win -- symbolizes a chance for a cultural and creative meeting, and time to open the heart… and offer a possibility for reconciliation an understanding." This wish is shared by the exhibition main sponsor, Play65, which as a multilingual online backgammon room enables internet users from all over the world to communicate with each other while sharing one backgammon platform and a common ambition - to bring their game pieces (also called soldiers) home.