LILIT לילית
Lilit / Adi Liraz, a performance walk on Sunday, 22 October 2023, Gotha
Lilit is a work commissioned by the Friedenstein Castle Foundation for the ACHAVA Festival 2023. Assistance: Verena Prüssing from art der stadt e.V. and Jürgen Weiss.
Lilith is the first woman who was created before Hava - Eve, and who was independent of Adam. So independent that God turned her into a demon and replaced her with Hava, who was created from Adam's ribs. This work refers to the idea of creation. In this case, however, to the creation of a creature that is diasporic, that weaves its web wherever it goes, and that simultaneously remembers various places in Gotha that harbour Jewish history.
This work refers to the idea of creation. In this case, however, to the creation of a creature that is diasporic, that weaves its web wherever it goes, and that at the same time remembers various places in Gotha that harbour Jewish history. Most of it has been erased. The golem spider wears a veil, like a woman at a wedding, with a part of Shir HaShirim - The Song of Songs inscribed on it. The veil and the walk, which begins and ends at the former mikveh of Gotha, refer to the bathing ritual before marriage. The mikvah was completely destroyed when the Jewish community of Gotha was expelled in the 13th century. Today, the Augustinian monastery stands in its place. This time it is not Shulamit who is walking around the city of Jerusalem, but an Arachne - Lilit, who was created with the Sephirot, is carried by various people and wears a veil embroidered with the truth אמת EMET: Alef, Mem and Taf on the ten legs of the Sephirot. If the first letter, Alef א, is removed, only מת MET , dead, remains.
Just as Arachne, who was transformed into a spider by the angry Athena, told the stories of women abused by the gods in the form of tapestry and textiles, Arachne-Lilit tells the story of a lost community. Lilit stands for life, which is part of the social fabric of Gotha and Germany, and calls for coexistence and justice for every human being, whether woman, non-binary person or man, whether Christian, Jew, Muslim or Palestinian. We are born as we are, no one can choose where and to whom we are born. However, aspects of belonging can have many meanings and we can define them. Some have the privilege to change their destiny. Most do not.
Photographs by: Bernd Seydel and Thomas Müller