Forgiveness Portal

The work was created for the exhibition Straight Down, curated by Michal Hasson, as part of the Jerusalem Biennale, 2026.

 

Forgiveness Portal is constructed from pruned olive branches, joined together with zip ties to form an ephemeral structure that can be physically entered and passed through. The work invites visitors on a personal, transformative journey, a kind of rite of passage, in which they descend to their knees in a crouching position reminiscent of prayer. Entering through the portal becomes an invitation to an inner journey, requiring the body to bend and adapt as it moves through the structure and emerges into the light, toward the vegetation of the garden. The passage is both physical and spiritual, and not necessarily comfortable. It involves friction and contraction, with the possibility of catharsis at its end and a connection to the essence of forgiveness.