Envisioned Ark Doors

Size: 4.59 ft height (140 cm) x 1.96 wide (60 cm) x 0.16 ft deep (5 cm) (or variable dimensions) each
Materials: Image transfer on wood or metal panels

These ark doors evoke the numerical connections of the letters of the name of God according to Jewish mysticism. This depiction is attributed to the 16th-century Kabbalist Moses Cordovero. It is a visual representation of the sacred to serve the community. In the Gematria interpretation method, each letter of the Hebrew alphabet is assigned a numerical value. In this image, letters of the Hebrew Alphabet are depicted in a circle that forms a lock, not precisely in the center, but tilted to the side, in an explosion of color and light that inundates the doors. According to Kabbalah, it is said that the combination of the letters in triplets creates the 72 names of God. Each letter unites in a sort of whirlwind formed by the different permutations the connections of the letters make. These are the combinations that open the doors of the Aaron Hakodesh.

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Robert Salomon Brandwayn’s work aims at understanding how resilience, solidarity, and the creative spirit, help migrant groups survive and thrive despite the interruption and longing being a migrant entails. He has created an imaginary chronology based on letters, photos, documents, permits, stamps, and other memories, which he has adhered to memory walls and translated to works of music and art. These explorations have made him understand how the fragility of our geographical permanence is universal and led him to explore the mystical implications of an imperfect world, where our actions can lead to its restoration.

Robert Salomon Brandwayn lives and works in Bogotá, Columbia