golem v. golem
a videos series, site-specific installation, and literary collaboration
2021
From left to right: Artist Julie Weitz and body double Genevieve Lerner, behind the scenes of Golem v. Golem, 2021. Photo credit @alexthebrown
Golem v. Golem is an 8-part episodic video series and site-specific installation that delves into Weitz’s multi-year project, My Golem, which evolved from Instagram videos to performances at protests to creative collaborations, ultimately taking on a life of its own over the course of four years. The series explores My Golem’s creation story, activism, and the various ways in which the character has been received and (mis)interpreted by different audiences in diverse contexts. Weitz’s journey as both creator and creation involves retelling and reframing her past while questioning the possibility of spiritual liberation within each of us.
Designed as a digital project for Instagram, Golem v. Golem unfolded over the week of Passover 2021, with the narrative building across daily episodes, supporting posts, stories, and a companion literary collaboration, “What We Talk About When We Talk to the Golem,” by novelist and poet Moriel Rothman-Zecher. The project was also presented at the Vilna Shul, Boston’s Center for Jewish Culture, in partnership with the Jewish Arts Collaborative.
Artist Julie Weitz , behind the scenes of Golem v. Golem, 2021. Photo credit @alexthebrown
From left to right: Artist Julie Weitz and body double Genevieve Lerner, behind the scenes of Golem v. Golem, 2021. Photo credit @alexthebrown
Speaking of shadows, we’re all glad that you’re
here, Golem: We’ve licked poor Sandy Koufax
so thoroughly that he grew fins and scales. We
had to make room in the attic. Sandy and Ethel
Rosenberg and Drake.
-excerpt from The Golem Sonnets by M. Pinsky-Appelbaum, Der Geylem Kolektiv
Artist Julie Weitz , behind the scenes of Golem v. Golem, 2021. Photo credit @alexthebrown
Asylum Arts produced Golem v. Golem, a project made possible through the generous support of CANVAS. The Jewish Book Council also produced a companion literary collaboration, *What We Talk About When We Talk to the Golem*, authored by Moriel Rothman-Zecher. The project also included digital partnerships with the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. This work is part of *Dwelling in a Time of Plagues*, a North American initiative that showcases a coast-to-coast Jewish artistic response to contemporary plagues. To explore other works in this project, visit plaguedwelling.com.
Golem v. Golem at The Vilna Shul, Installation view, Boston, MA, 2021.