Two major events in the 1950s typified this give and take between past and present: the staunchly forward-looking Festival of Britain in 1951, a nationwide celebration of new art, architecture and design, and Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953, to which millions of Britons tuned in.

WSJ: British Design at the Victoria & Albert Museum: A Nostalgic Leap Forward

New cultural endeavors such as the Design Museum in next-door Holon, the annual Fresh Paint contemporary art fair and the biannual Art TLV festival are placing Tel Aviv on the global art map.

WSJ: Insider's Guide to Tel Aviv: Middle Eastern Promises | Journal Concierge