collage 2024 16”h, 13”w
A golem, in Jewish folklore, is an animated anthropomorphic being crafted from dirt and brought to life through Kabbalistic incantations—a form of mystical coding. The most famous golem was created in 1580 by the Maharal, a Kabbalistic rabbi in Prague, to protect the Jewish community from pogroms. However, the golem eventually became uncontrollable, transforming from protector to perceived threat, and had to be destroyed.
In this collage, I reinterpret the golem and the means by which it is animated, replacing mystical incantations with AI-generated code. Using a chatbot, I prompted the creation of both a programmatic and genetic “code” for a golem, which I then translated into Hebrew—a linguistic experiment merging modern genetics (ACGT) with ancient script. This marks the first time I’ve encountered a translation of genetic sequences into Hebrew, bringing an additional layer of symbolism to the work.
The printed codes serve as the primary material for the collage, blending seamlessly into the visual fabric of the piece. This integration blurs the line between the golem’s form and its essence, as its very structure is defined by code. Elements of the Kabbalistic diagram, often associated with creation and mysticism, shape sections of the golem’s body.
The work draws a parallel between historical and contemporary fears: the Jewish community’s anxiety over an untamable golem mirrors today’s apprehensions about Artificial Intelligence surpassing human control. Through this piece, I explore the enduring tension between creator and creation, tradition and innovation, and protection and peril.
Related
- Hebrew text
- Text