Dominika Skutnik – Samekh

The project was based on a ready-made shape approximating the Hebrew letter Samekh found by the artist in the public space of Lublin. She was inspired by the mystical searching for the venue at Szeroka 28 in Lublin, described in the book The Eye of the Tzaddik by Władysław Panas. The letter found in the form of a grass-covered outdoor planter was copied in metal and elevated to the sky; in the installation both forms are gazing at each other. Linking a Hebrew letter to space, especially to the sky over the Rybny Square, indirectly refers to the idea of Axis Mundi – centre of the world, a point of connection between heaven and earth, where time stops and where we can contact the past and the future. World axis is believed to be the starting point for genesis, that is creation of all natural forms. By lifting the letter Samekh up to the sky, the artist invites birds to participate in the sculpture, for in all cultures birds are believed to be messengers and connectors between heaven and earth. The installation is changing, as the way birds participate in the form changes as well.