Complete listing for
Hanukkah 2010 at
The Jewish Museum
...................................Daniel Libeskind, an international figure in architecture and urban design, creates a bold and stunning installation entitled Line of Fire with a selection of Hanukkah lamps from the Museum’s renowned collection. The design returns to a form first developed in his 1988 sculptural construction also entitled Line of Fire. Its main component was a zigzag structure whose color, irregular lines and unusual angles challenged the conventions of modern architecture. Libeskind has continued to use the Line of Fire in subsequent building designs, where it has come to symbolize the continuity of Jewish existence through sudden changes in circumstances, some of them catastrophic. For example, the jagged shape of the Jewish Museum in Berlin represents the difficult path of Jewish life in that city. In contrast, the second-floor exhibition hall of The Contemporary Jewish Museum (2008), with its sharp angles and jutting overlooks, provides spacious vistas evoking the culture of freedom in San Francisco.
In the presentation here, the Line of Fire becomes a support for a selection of the museum’s Hanukkah menorahs. It embodies the central ritual of Hanukkah – the kindling of flames in commemoration of an ancient victory for religious freedom. According to legend, a miracle occurred as the Jews gave thanks for divine intervention in the struggle. A one-day supply of consecrated oil necessary for worship in the newly cleansed Jerusalem Temple burned for eight days, enough time to produce more oil. Libeskind’s installation and his selection of quotes seen on the blue panels create an evocative metaphor for the spiritual and regenerative power of fire.
Susan L. Braunstein, Curator of Archaeology and Judaica
Gallery of Images
Also on view for Hanukkah 2010: Seven Artists Inspired by Hanukkah
Complete listing for Hanukkah 2010 at The Jewish Museum
Selected Hanukkah Menorahs
Related Links
The Getty Research Institute
Conservation on model created for the 1988 exhibition, Daniel Libeskind: Line of Fire.
Studio Daniel Libeskind
Project: The Jewish Museum Berlin
Project: The Contemporary Jewish Museum
The New York Times
The Lights Fantastic (11/18/2010)
Daniel Libeskind on a New Show of Menorahs (11/17/2010)
Hanukkah 2010 at
The Jewish Museum
...................................Daniel Libeskind, an international figure in architecture and urban design, creates a bold and stunning installation entitled Line of Fire with a selection of Hanukkah lamps from the Museum’s renowned collection. The design returns to a form first developed in his 1988 sculptural construction also entitled Line of Fire. Its main component was a zigzag structure whose color, irregular lines and unusual angles challenged the conventions of modern architecture. Libeskind has continued to use the Line of Fire in subsequent building designs, where it has come to symbolize the continuity of Jewish existence through sudden changes in circumstances, some of them catastrophic. For example, the jagged shape of the Jewish Museum in Berlin represents the difficult path of Jewish life in that city. In contrast, the second-floor exhibition hall of The Contemporary Jewish Museum (2008), with its sharp angles and jutting overlooks, provides spacious vistas evoking the culture of freedom in San Francisco.
In the presentation here, the Line of Fire becomes a support for a selection of the museum’s Hanukkah menorahs. It embodies the central ritual of Hanukkah – the kindling of flames in commemoration of an ancient victory for religious freedom. According to legend, a miracle occurred as the Jews gave thanks for divine intervention in the struggle. A one-day supply of consecrated oil necessary for worship in the newly cleansed Jerusalem Temple burned for eight days, enough time to produce more oil. Libeskind’s installation and his selection of quotes seen on the blue panels create an evocative metaphor for the spiritual and regenerative power of fire.
Susan L. Braunstein, Curator of Archaeology and Judaica
Gallery of Images
Also on view for Hanukkah 2010: Seven Artists Inspired by Hanukkah
Complete listing for Hanukkah 2010 at The Jewish Museum
Selected Hanukkah Menorahs
Manufacturer: Orivit-Aktiengesellschaft (1900-1905)
- White metal: cast and silver-plated; glass: mold formed
- 13 7/8 x 12 3/4 x 5 5/16 in. (35.3 x 32.4 x 13.5 cm)
- The Jewish Museum, New York
- Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman (?), F 3573
Not on view Ceremonial Art
Hanukkah Lamp
Hanukkah Lamp
- Copper alloy: cast and chased
- 6 x 7 7/16 x 2 3/8 in. (15.3 x 18.9 x 6.1 cm)
- The Jewish Museum, New York
- Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman, F 3777
Not on view Ceremonial Art
Hanukkah Lamp
Hanukkah Lamp
- Tin-coated copper
- 11 13/16 x 13 3/4 x 2 in. (30 x 34.9 x 5.1 cm)
- The Jewish Museum, New York
- Purchase: Samuel and Rose Riemer Private Foundation Gift, 1998-31
Not on view Ceremonial Art
Hanukkah Lamp
Architectonic Menorah
Architectonic Menorah
Related Links
The Getty Research Institute
Conservation on model created for the 1988 exhibition, Daniel Libeskind: Line of Fire.
Studio Daniel Libeskind
Project: The Jewish Museum Berlin
Project: The Contemporary Jewish Museum
The New York Times
The Lights Fantastic (11/18/2010)
Daniel Libeskind on a New Show of Menorahs (11/17/2010)
