2012-2013: Sfar (Treshold)
A year-long archival and visual research project conducted at the Israel National Library, in conjunction with the library’s 120th anniversary. Beginning from the library’s collection and ending engaging with the architecture of the building hosting it, the research delve into the poetry of multidisciplinary artist Else Lasker-Schüler. A German-Jewish poet and playwright famous for her bohemian lifestyle in Berlin and her poetry, she was one of the few women affiliated with the Expressionist movement. Lasker-Schüler fled Nazi Germany and lived out the rest of her life in Jerusalem, but never spoke or wrote in the local languages. Sfar means “threshold” in Hebrew, and stands as a site-specific projection designed for the library’s entrance glass wall, where I intricately engaged with Lasker-Schüler’s archive. Employing mirror-writing and rear projection techniques, Sfar represents an introspective exploration of Lasker-Schüler's artistic legacy, traversing the perpetual interplay between imagination and reality, untranslatability, physical and linguistic displacement. This visual rendition contemplates the intricate tensions embedded within Lasker-Schüler’s work, navigating the realms of Europe and the Orient, while grappling with the dichotomies of German and Hebrew cultural influences.
Research outcomes:
· Exhibitions: Presented as a large-scale video installation at the Israel National Library, The Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Sfar engaged audiences for six months.
· Documentation: Else Lasker-Schüler, a documentary short film documenting the process and the exhibition, produced by the Israel National Library.
· Audience engagement: The installation drew in approximately 10,000 visitors.
