Can't Hear the Sea for the Waste
Rash Rash Rash: Contemporary Noise Makers of the Bezalel School, The Cymbalista Jewish Heritage Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel, group exhibition
Curators: Dr. Ido Noy and Dr. Shirat Miriam Shamir
Shiny sponges (scotch) are common in Israel and often come in gold, silver, black, and green colors. They cast off particles of color after extensive use in washing dishes. These tiny particles enter our water system, find themselves in streams and seas, and return to us as pollutants. I created a ra'ashan, or Purim noisemaker, from used sponges, some of the last I had before switching to a more sustainable option. I emptied the sponge, leaving the worn silver-colored casing, and put noisy, natural seeds inside. I attached a handle to the rattling sponge to create a familiar, classic rattle design, with the handle covered in a second golden-colored sponge.
The noisemaker alerts you to the problem of using these sponges for washing dishes, especially in Israel, where a natural material alternative especially suitable for washing dishes is grown, the loofah, which does not pollute.
Once again, with its noisemaking, the sponge warns of its own problematic nature, urging us to make noise and take action against a non-sustainable future.
Rash Rash Rash: Contemporary Noise Makers of the Bezalel School, The Cymbalista Jewish Heritage Center, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel, group exhibition
Curators: Dr. Ido Noy and Dr. Shirat Miriam Shamir
Shiny sponges (scotch) are common in Israel and often come in gold, silver, black, and green colors. They cast off particles of color after extensive use in washing dishes. These tiny particles enter our water system, find themselves in streams and seas, and return to us as pollutants. I created a ra'ashan, or Purim noisemaker, from used sponges, some of the last I had before switching to a more sustainable option. I emptied the sponge, leaving the worn silver-colored casing, and put noisy, natural seeds inside. I attached a handle to the rattling sponge to create a familiar, classic rattle design, with the handle covered in a second golden-colored sponge.
The noisemaker alerts you to the problem of using these sponges for washing dishes, especially in Israel, where a natural material alternative especially suitable for washing dishes is grown, the loofah, which does not pollute.
Once again, with its noisemaking, the sponge warns of its own problematic nature, urging us to make noise and take action against a non-sustainable future.