Otzar

According to Jewish mythology, in the Garden of Eden there is a Tree of life or the "Tree of Souls": that blossoms and produces new souls, which fall into the Otzar or Guf, the "Treasury of Souls". Gabriel reaches into the treasury and takes out the first soul that comes into his hand. Then Lailah, the Angel of Conception, watches over the embryo until it is born.

The Tree of Souls produces all the souls that have ever existed, or will ever exist. When the last soul descends, the world will come to an end. According to the Talmud, the Messiah will not come until the Guf is emptied of all its souls. The mystic significance of the Guf is that each person is important and has a unique role which only he or she, with his or her unique soul, can fulfill. Every newborn baby brings the Messiah closer simply by being born.

"Otzar" is a time-specific sculpture installation. The 30cm copper box contains candles which represent the souls in the Guf. The reflective surfaces inside the box create an endless sea of lights that draws the viewer into a 'spiritual' realm where time and space are infinite. One by one the lights go out, until the box is dark. Copper is chosen as a material because of its anti-bacterial and conductivity properties, which add several layers of meaning to the piece. Glass and mirrors are chosen similarly for their ability to reflect light and suggest other dimensions.