Painted pine with Yiddish prayer fragments, 2023
Roberto Cardinale’s Kotel, Western and Wailing Wall evokes the iconic Western Wall (also known as the Wailing Wall) in Jerusalem, a deeply significant site for prayer and pilgrimage in Jewish tradition.
Cardinale's choice of pine as the primary material imbues the piece with a tactile, organic quality, while the painted surface offers a contrast, suggesting the passage of time and the many layers of history and devotion associated with the Wall. The surface of the sculpture is textured and complex, with fragments of Yiddish prayers integrated into the work. These fragments, which are physically embedded or painted into the wood, serve to deepen the spiritual connection and historical context of the piece. The prayers may evoke the yearning and reflection that takes place at the actual Wailing Wall, where individuals often insert written prayers into the cracks of the stone.
Original Building Location: Jerusalem, 1900 BCE
• 13.5" (34.29cm) height
• 15" (38.10cm) width
• 6.75" (17.15cm) depth
• One of a kind