Lavender Diaspora

Installation, 2023
Ripstop, Plastic buckles, Dacron, Steel

Photography — Ming Fai Chan

Lavender Diaspora is a site-specific outdoor installation that functions as a space for hosting Jewish cultural events during the seven days of Sukkot (September 29 - October 8 ).The installation's general shape is based on the fundamental rules of the traditional sukkah: an outdoor temporary home of three walls and a roof of organic material. This holiday underscores the importance of moving away from materialistic values to emphasize deeper spiritual and communal connections, epitomized by the construction of the sukkah.

The installation, designed by Israeli-born artist Hilla Shapira, Lavender Diaspora raises the question: 'Where is home?' from both queer and Jewish perspectives. The visual language of the installation draws inspiration from designs commonly found in Israel's Orthodox Jewish community, in which Hilla was raised. Jewish iconography and Hebrew scripture are transformed into soft objects. Hilla's reinterpretation of the traditional sukkah form brings a queer perspective to this ancient tradition, turning the sukkah into an ephemeral ritual space.