Sometimes I feel like I am writing an "art blog" about Israel, as so many of my posts seem to focus on the artists and artisans of Israel. However, it seems that the country has a special place in it's heart for the arts.Several years ago, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation (the folks in charge of the Western Wall) commissioned an artist to create a series of glass sculptures - to be displayed at the visitor's center near the tunnel tours. These glass sculptures were to represent the history of the Jewish people - from Abraham (the first Jew) to modern day Israel.
It boggles my mind to think that officials would want modern art-work on display at Judaism's holiest site. The artist created eight sculptures, built from thousands of pieces of layered glass. It took over 150 tons of glass to create them all. Each sculpture in the series is unique. One is adorned with Hebrew lettering, includes verses from the Bible, and pays homage to the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Another sculpture documents the history of Jerusalem, while another depicts modern history of the Jews.
I think that the inclusion of modern art at such an ancient historical site is just marvelous. It demonstrates that art is a way to express a people's story. The sculptures serve as an artistic reminder of how the different generations of Jews are linked through time. Learning about these Western Wall sculptures has given me yet another reason to take that tunnel tour.
