The Holy Ark, 2010// internet version
text : Ruti director - as part of the Ex' Lines Made by Walking - Haifa museum
Editing :guy briller
Soundtrack: Binya Reches Still photographs: Yuval Yairy
Video: Yair Moss, Yaniv Yor, Daniel Ziny Assistance in the object design & construction:
Oded Rimon
The portrayed journey took place on the last day of a project which extended over seven weeks at Givat Ram campus in Jerusalem: Guy Briller and friends led an unidentified object, carried on a stretcher of sorts. Briller thinks of it in terms of a Holy Ark, although the procession also calls to mind a coffin. The walking route began in the parking lot of the Israel Museum, and continued up the road leading to the museum, with several stops, such as Anish Kapoor’s sculpture. From there the little convoy turned back and continued toward the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and the Supreme Court. A walk which took several hours, between high points of culture and government, was ultimately encapsulated into a several minute long film. The walk was documented from four points of view simultaneously and was broadcast on the project’s website in real time.
What is the meaning of this act? The young men carrying the object are dressed in ordinary clothes, and their walk is devoid of any special features. The nature of the object they carry is obscure, as aforesaid, and so is the very essence of their walk. At the same time, the odd journey is accompanied by an air of festivity, probably resulting from the ritualistic dimension of walking in a group, at a uniform pace. The charged political aspect, due to the route in Jerusalem, is blended with the formal, material, and musical aspects of an enigmatic artistic act.
Thanks to: Yonatan Amir, Matan Israely, Lael Kline, Sky View Aerial Photography crew, Israel Museum, Jerusalem for their collaboration, Haifa Museum of Art for the support in editing
The CDA's archives are operating with the support of the Ostrovsky Family Fund and Artis
