The curse and the blessing (or region bounded by two functions), 2021

Nabulsi soap bars and bricks made of mud from Qasr al-Yahud, variable dimensions

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A pivotal moment in the history of the Jewish people, as narrated in the Bible, the crossing of the Jordan River at the site later named Qasr al-Yahud marked the start of the Israelites’ evolution from a nomadic tribe of exiled ex-slaves into a political entity, a 'people'.

An array of civic and religious ceremonies that had been dictated by Moses prior to the crossing were carried out by his successor, Joshua, and included mass circumcisions and the building of altars and memorials. One significant ritual involved the momentous division of the new nation into two groups: the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali climbed Mount Ebal, while the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin went up to Mount Gerizim. The priests and Levites stood in the valley in between, which became the site of the city of Nablus (nowadays west bank). As the Levites called out a series of blessings to the tribes on Mount Gerizim, and curses to the tribes on Mount Ebal, the tribe members answered “amen.” This juxtaposition is echoed in Littwitz’s installation, which consists of two towers facing and intertwining each other so as to create a shared, yet inaccessible, locked space between. One tower is made of typical Nabulsi olive oil soap bars, and the other is made of mud from Qasr al-Yahud. The shape of the towers reflects the traditional mode of drying the soap.

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A High Degree of Certainty, 2020

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Two geofabrics immersed in the Jordan River at Qasr al-Yahud, one in the western side of the River (controlled by Israel) and the other on the Eastern side (Jordan), variable dimensions

A geotextile is a permeable cloth-like material used to increase soil stability, provide erosion control, separate soil layers, and/or aid in drainage. At a site known as Qasr al-Yahud, the Jordan River is only a few meters wide, and for most of the year can almost be traversed on foot. Israeli and Jordanian soldiers who patrol the area spend most of their shifts just sitting idly, facing each other. One might argue that envisioning two distinct sides to this minimalistic waterway is an exercise in imagination. Littwitz’s symbolic act of submerging the textiles on either side of the border was as simple as it was transgressive; the work disrespects the idea of an un-crossable border. While the immersion obviously echoes the Christian rite of baptism that for millennia has been performed at this specific site, Littwitz’s performative double-dipping questions the sanctity of a human-made border in relation to a divine precept. Especially considering that, due to political and logistical reasons, the certified baptismal site was in 1967 moved from the side currently occupied by Israel to the Jordanian side.

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