...לשנה הבאה / Next year..., 2022
Fabric, polyester fiber filling, thread
9ft x 9ft x 5in
A new מה־נשׁתנה:
Why is Pesach the time to focus on anti-Zionism and decolonization?
That on other holidays, we celebrate a variety of things; on this holiday, we celebrate freedom from oppression.
That on other holidays, we may only connect with cultural and religious stories; on this holiday, we connect to the cycles of the land as well, celebrating springtime renewal.
That on other holidays, we may wish each other a happy holiday; on this holiday, we customarily say “Next year in Jerusalem,” or “.לשנה הבאה בירושלים”
That on other holidays, we follow a standardized prayer book; on this holiday, we may compile our own Haggadah.
“Next year…/...לשנה הבאה” is a soft sculpture that lays outside on the ground. It is a cushioned, circular picnic blanket that mimics a Seder plate. It holds a constantly shifting library of Haggadot and relevant references in the center. The work is meant to be sat on, reclined on, and used for the study of Haggadot and the creation of new Haggadot.
The Haggadah often ends with the wish “Next year in Jerusalem,” or “.לשנה הבאה בירושלים” This wish predates Zionism and the modern country of Israel, but in our present day it cannot be removed from the reality that Jerusalem is an occupied city. The title of this work is taken from this wish, though it removes the last two words, leaving space to reconsider how the closing wish of a Seder could be framed.
My intention is to create a space that is conducive to removing colonizing, Zionist thought and returning to meaningful connections with land and place within the Haggadah (and Passover Seder). I propose that a space for this purpose should both ground participants in their current natural environments and encourage a complex understanding of where participants have come from; the space should also facilitate informal play, conversation, and connection.