In the Golem's Garden

Saturday, 14.09.19, 20:00

Sunday, 14.06.20

Curators: Michal BenJakob and Dafna Falk

 

More info:

04-6030800
Map

Share

The story of the Golem – a staple of Jewish folklore – describes a being made of clay and brought to life using secret incantations. This act straddles the boundary between the godlike and the sinful, between wisdom and witchcraft. The legend about the man-made creature expresses a desire for power, control, and convenience. These desires continue to animate the heart of man to this day. In fact, the "golems" in our life have multiplied: clay has become silicone, and secret formulas have become programming codes. The Golem now takes the form of a computer, a smartphone, or a robot.

The Golem has always existed side by side with humanity. It breathes without oxygen, thinks without a mind, and exists without a soul. Today, computer-golems are so many that we cannot imagine ourselves without them: they organize our lives, store information, and make sure nothing is forgotten – whether we like it or not. They are so thoroughly integrated into our existence that something essential in our very being seems to have changed irreversibly.

This exhibition invites the viewers to wander through the Golem's garden – as a mirror-image of humanity, seen through the looking-glass. The image is distorted, made of fragments created by a mind seeking to control man's life and rise above his physical and spiritual limitations. The works in the exhibition draw inspiration from the digitized, computerized world. The participating artists, both emerging and established, create their works using the elements of digitization. Each display room presents a stage of the human journey through the garden of the Golem-Computer, reflecting different points of view in man's relationship with his creation.

The first space – the exhibition's point of departure – represents the Golem-Computer's understanding of the world around him. His internal world image is a kind of imitation of the real world, indicating the way in which the Golem's digital mechanisms come to dominate human perception. The two side rooms address man's material and spiritual needs, expressed by controlling and subjugating the Golem-Computer. The space on the right expresses the need for physical warmth, while the left room presents man's philosophical and spiritual search for meaning. The last room represents the quantum leap that occurs when the digital merges with the human and mankind sheds the shackles of the physical world. As the computer fuses with man, it loses its strangeness. What will the future hold in store when the Golem is able to provide an answer to any human limitation?

Does this fusion trap mankind forever in the Golem's garden, among the virtual images on the other side of the looking-glass? Or could the renouncement of the power struggle between physical and virtual reality lead to the emergence of a freer humanity? Visitors to the exhibition are welcome to observe the works with this question in mind – where does the Golem-Computer end and the human begin?

 

Participating artists: Mor Afgin, Romy Arden, Carmi Dror, Sharon Fadida, Yael Frank, Uri Gershuni, Inbar Hagai, Noy Haimovitz, Dina Kelberman, Yoel Peled, Daniela Takeva, Ted Whitaker, Aya Zamir

 

For buying Tickets and further information please leave your details