Three Earths

THREE EARTHS marks two historical boundaries of the now-destroyed 18th century Jewish cemetery on Gwarna-street in Wrocław (formerly Claassenstraße in Breslau). On Gwarna-Straße the work marks the portion of the cemetery wall from 1908 that is still standing. By turning one’s attention to the wall, we simultaneously turn our attention to the elevated cemetery behind it, where unmarked human remains are still buried to this day. Tennis courts and a gymnasium have been constructed on the grounds. On Konstytucji 3 Maja square, which forms the other end of the cemetery, THREE EARTHS marks the ground where the boundaries of the most outer edge of the historical cemetery once stood. In doing so, the work points to the original size of the cemetery, whose boundaries extend well beyond the streets and housing blocks of the city in its present form.

One of the central premises for this work was to work in an ecologically non-invasive way. As such, I chose to work with natural earth pigments whose color and tone are present in the ground in Poland and the surrounding region. Through this twin connection between the selection of materials and the cemetery as a piece of land where human remains are still buried, an organic image emerged that was also embedded within the city. I chose pit lime as the binder for the pigments in order to completely avoid the use of acrylic or other artificial and poisonous materials. The pit lime allows for the pigments to slowly wear away and dissipate over time by way of people’s steps, rain and snow without harming the groundwater.

Because various parties have intersecting interests in this plot of land, THREE EARTHS was – and continues to be – a political balancing act in the city. It was possible to realize due to the use of non-invasive techniques and natural, non-harmful materials. By way of this temporary work, the idea is to stimulate public thought and discourse on permanent ecologically sustainable spaces of remembrance in the city. In 2023 the work was renewed – a fact that already points to its success and potential.

Alongside the ecological focus, THREE EARTHS is oriented around the three thematic points: 1) the cemetery grounds still containing human remains and being, at the same time, an object of land speculation, 2) the Halakhah (Jewish religious law) that stipulates drawing a distinction between cemeteries and places where daily life takes place - and as such explicitly marking a distinction between these two spaces, 3) the Jewish law stating the necessity of keeping the peace of the dead for eternity.

The work, THREE EARTHS, marks the boundaries of – and names – the Gwarna cemetery for the first time since World War II.

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Three Earths

THREE EARTHS marks two historical boundaries of the now-destroyed 18th century Jewish cemetery on Gwarna-street in Wrocław (formerly Claassenstraße in Breslau). On Gwarna-Straße the work marks the portion of the cemetery wall from 1908 that is still standing. By turning one’s attention to the wall, we simultaneously turn our attention to the elevated cemetery behind it, where unmarked human remains are still buried to this day. Tennis courts and a gymnasium have been constructed on the grounds. On Konstytucji 3 Maja square, which forms the other end of the cemetery, THREE EARTHS marks the ground where the boundaries of the most outer edge of the historical cemetery once stood. In doing so, the work points to the original size of the cemetery, whose boundaries extend well beyond the streets and housing blocks of the city in its present form.

One of the central premises for this work was to work in an ecologically non-invasive way. As such, I chose to work with natural earth pigments whose color and tone are present in the ground in Poland and the surrounding region. Through this twin connection between the selection of materials and the cemetery as a piece of land where human remains are still buried, an organic image emerged that was also embedded within the city. I chose pit lime as the binder for the pigments in order to completely avoid the use of acrylic or other artificial and poisonous materials. The pit lime allows for the pigments to slowly wear away and dissipate over time by way of people’s steps, rain and snow without harming the groundwater.

Because various parties have intersecting interests in this plot of land, THREE EARTHS was – and continues to be – a political balancing act in the city. It was possible to realize due to the use of non-invasive techniques and natural, non-harmful materials. By way of this temporary work, the idea is to stimulate public thought and discourse on permanent ecologically sustainable spaces of remembrance in the city. In 2023 the work was renewed – a fact that already points to its success and potential.

Alongside the ecological focus, THREE EARTHS is oriented around the three thematic points: 1) the cemetery grounds still containing human remains and being, at the same time, an object of land speculation, 2) the Halakhah (Jewish religious law) that stipulates drawing a distinction between cemeteries and places where daily life takes place - and as such explicitly marking a distinction between these two spaces, 3) the Jewish law stating the necessity of keeping the peace of the dead for eternity.

The work, THREE EARTHS, marks the boundaries of – and names – the Gwarna cemetery for the first time since World War II.