Double Doors

The Jewish Theological Seminary solicited a proposal from Wolf for their yearlong exhibition, Traversing Tradition: Transformation in and of Contemporary Jewish Life. Wolf’s Double Doors emerged as a reaction and reflection upon the institutions impending renovation of its world-renowned Judaica library. After spending time in the library and considering its surrounding environment, Wolf lined the doors and windows of the institution’s glass entryway with adhesive films of translucent imagery symbolically referencing the library’s soon to be missing book stacks. The images, portraying fragments of the original library as they were captured in film negatives, were installed opposite a silhouette of a tree alluding to the Tree of Life, a meaningful symbol in Jewish culture and also the emblem of The Jewish Theological Seminary. The work transformed the façade of the institution into a threshold between nature (symbolized by the tree) and culture (symbolized by the books) and offered passersby the opportunity to meditate upon the inheritance of tradition and the free will that accompanies the acquisition of knowledge. The piece brought key tenants of the institution’s mission— acknowledging history and engaging contemporary society—to the community at large.

Rebecca Pristoop