An early 20th Century Bezalel tapestry is gradually woven on the projected screen. The pace of weaving is measured in “task-time”, i.e. the duration required to perform a certain action, regardless of global time. You are invited to sit on one of the stools in order to accelerate the speed in which the tapestry is woven so as to adjust it to western time. As you get up to leave, the tapestry clock and the act of weaving will slowly begin to lag behind. In this synchronized (interactive) installation, human productivity is not manifested by effective, hard work: on the contrary, the more you allow yourself to linger and invest precious time ‘doing nothing’, the quicker the weaving of the tapestry will be completed.
Image: tapestry, 1920-30, produced by Marvadia (Bezalel), Jerusalem | Israel Museum Jerusalem collection | gift of Alex Zadeh, London, B82.0009, 165/052 | photo © Israel Museum Jerusalem
a collaboration with Sarit Youdelevich
cpu, camera, projector, custom software
click image for video
