The objects throughout this exhibition represent the vast and rich history of Jewish culture. Looking forward, Spice Girl and Ray of Hope #42 highlight how Jewish culture and expression continue to grow, change, and enable new narratives. Spice Girl and Ray of Hope #42 are contemporary interpretations on Jewish traditions created by contemporary artists.
Spice Girl is a Havdalah Spice Container that was featured in a juried art show at Spertus in 1998. Found materials have been assembled into a Kachina style figure pointing to Hopi tribal symbols of guardian spirits while also referencing the famous British pop group The Spice Girls, as well as its ceremonial function for Havdalah. This piece melds elements from popular, Native American history, and Jewish culture to create an art object that broadens the scope of what a Jewish object can be and how it can function. The artist, Liz Mamorsky, regularly pulls from diverse cultural influences, highlighting how objects relate to their larger contemporary community. Placed within the Open Depot, this art piece is displayed alongside other objects that are not accompanied by a label. How does an art object also enable multiple voices to occur within a cultural institution? Although non-functional, how does the enmeshed cultural references point towards a larger collective narrative?
Similarly, Ray of Hope #42 is an Alms container made from found metal collage that has been assembled to a wooden box in the form of a house. While referencing the traditional Tzedakah box, the art object points to the importance of individuals taking responsibility for their wider community that is essential to modern Judaism. Ray of Hope #42 exemplifies how a non-functional art object can become a middle ground for the institution, the viewer, and the ritual object.
Both Spice Girl and Ray of Hope #42 highlight how the practice of display can intermingle with a larger cultural context, while continuing a narrative of contemporary Jewish culture. They also speak to how we classify cultural objects and the ramifications this has on how objects are displayed, valued, and interpreted. In particular, these objects, which were made and sold for display purposes only, raises questions about how art pieces function alongside the other objects on display in Slippages.
