Hilla Ben Ari

Papercuts and mixed media, 70X100 cm, 2010

With meticulous carving, line after line, the artist Hilla Ben-Ari created a mesh, a network of lines that simulates a Mashrabiya. A slender girl rises from the golden lines, constrained in her home. What seems to protect her is in fact a golden cage, keeping her indoors in a forced isolation. She is trying to reach out through the bars to extend her view.
Her back is illuminated by a golden light. The source of the light is unknown, but the viewer can see clearly that it is not the sun.
Just like the girl in the art work, the sun is restricted in space and movement. Bubbles sparkle and float all around the girl, perhaps carrying promises that will one day be fulfilled.