Black Box

The installation Black Box presents a container with the ability both to move around or stay put. The concept of a black box has different meanings in mysticism as well as in universal archetypes, yet it is always depicted as enigmatic and elusive. The black stone in the Kaaba in Mecca, for example, is the holiest place for Muslims. In Judaism, the black box symbolizes the head tefillin, among the most important religious articles used on a daily basis. In alchemy, the black stone is a symbol of change and power, and perhaps was the sage stone itself. In Christianity, a black halo is a symbol of the devil, and also of Judas Iscariot. In the modern age, a black box symbolizes the documentation of any given moment. Viewed as an authentic source, the information it has to offer is an indisputable ruling, a decisive, time-stopping testimony. Black Box comprises videos of an apocalyptic-psychedelic aesthetic nature, uniting past, present, and future in line with their presentation in Kabbalah. The videos, each a depiction of a different period and time-index, are a reflection of perceptions of time attempting to nullify the present by filling it with content from other sources of time. The box on display is the height of an average person, and is completely sealed, with no possibility to enter it. Coded and full of secrets, its peepholes offer a fragmented view of reality.

Avraham Barchil, Studio Barchil

Initiated and Produced by: Dr. Noa Lea Cohn

Funding and Production: The Art Shelter Gallery