Tzadik V'Ra Lo (The Righteous Suffer), 2023
120x30x80 cm
Bronze

 

Ella Littwitz is concerned with the fluctuating lines of demarcation forming historical borders and territories within the landscape, as an attempt to contain nature and the movement of people. Unstable and shifting throughout time, these areas are often claimed by differing groups, as they form national narratives of identity and at times, arouse dispute.
The carbonized fig, from 11,400 years ago, is among the earliest known domesticated plants. According to archeo botanic academic research, this practice is an indicator of the shift from hunter-gatherer life to agriculture and settlement. Research done on the figs, that were found in Gilgal near Jericho, discovered an early form of cultivation that involved cuttings of fig branches planted directly into the earth. The planted fig branches, similar to placing a stake in the ground, are related to an early form of claiming land. Tzadik V'Ra Lo (The Righteous Suffer), 2023, is a life-size cast bronze fig branch with one end cut into a sharp point. The black patina references the original carbonized figs found at Gilgal. Elevated upon a spare iron table, the branch serves as a testament to the importance of its role in the development of agriculture while also being revered as an icon of the age of human settlement upon the land.

​

Savannah Gorton 

​

Photos: Tal Nisim, courtesy of Artport Tel Aviv