From One End of the World to the Other
Yael Serlin, Renana Salmon, Julia Aronson, Rachel Radashkevitch, Shulamit Etzion, Batnadiv HaKarmi, Lea Laukstein, Yifat Steinmetz Hearst, Avigail Fried, Pesi Komar, Moriah Eder Plaskin, Ayelet Dora Saperia
Curators: Iris Pshedezki and Gili Zaidman – The Refrigerator (HaMecarer)
16-26.8.2017 The Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem
The exhibition took part at Chaotic Muse
Artistic Direction: Ariella Rones-Tsafrir
“Six voices go from one end of the world to the other and the sound is not audible, and they are: When a fruit-bearing tree is cut down the voice cries out from one end of the world to the other, and its sound is not audible… When the child comes out from the mother’s womb the voice cries out from one end of the world to the other and its sound is not audible. When the soul departs from the body the voice goes out from one end of the world to the other, and its sound is not audible….“
Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer chapter 34
Twelve artists from the ‘Studio of Her Own’ created art works that are interspersed throughout the Museum, as a response and a dialogue with the exhibits in the main exhibition galleries. The Bible Lands Museum weaves archaeological findings with the story of the development of humanity in this region. The products of daily life, of ritual and warfare on display in the museum, were used by the people who lived in the ancient world. These objects were prayed to; as people turned to them for help in times of difficulty and trouble. “From one End of the World to the Other” offers a personal, critical and reflective look, which questions the relevance and significance of rituals and looks at the museum as a modern home of worship.
The main exhibition of the Bible Lands Museum tells a story; by way of juxtaposing biblical stories with archaeological findings, as it creates a visual narrative of the biblical sources. What does the encounter between the world of the Museum and the world of the artists create? This exhibition, “From One End of the World to the Other”, offers several possible connections between the contemporary and the ancient, and proposes a new layer of interpretation as reflected in the artists’ perception as well as in the different uses of techniques and materials.
‘Studio of Her Own’ is a cooperative of women artists from various religious sectors; a collaboration which is not self-evident. The Studio provides a unique opportunity to create out of a common language and broad worlds of inspiration. At the same time, arises the difficulty of being labeled with the feminine, religious definition. The group fosters the ability to explore their identity and to debate creativity and totality.
The title of the exhibition “From One End of the World to the Other” is from a Midrash taken from Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer. The Midrash describes endless situations in the world. In order to successfully formulate something from this chaos that has no voice and no place, the Midrash uses a feminine viewpoint within the context of flora and fauna. It is the same feminine viewpoint that drives the course of the exhibition.
The works attempt to bridge the historical gap between our time and biblical times and reduce the differences, since the human is human and pain is pain. Some of the works reminisce about the spiritual axioms in the foundations of the ancient world, and find in it a beautiful and touching expression of something that is missing today. Some of them look from afar, a kind of historical eye that examines tremendous changes and permutations, and remind us that what we call the present is only part of the historical continuum.
This exhibition is a cultural event that offers a parallel experience to the traditional displays in the Museum inviting the visitor to observe, listen and reflect on the artists discourse and personal timeline that is interwoven throughout the galleries.