Chrysalis
Chrysalis presents a rare, never-before-seen view of the hidden world of the notes placed inside Jerusalem’s Western wall. Made between 2020 and 2023, this body of work explores the power of human connection to Jerusalem’s most sacred Jewish place, the resilience of the human spirit, and the transformative power faith has during the COVID-19 pandemic uprise and after it has faded.
The towering Western Wall is a silent witness of the ages. For centuries, people have come to this sacred site in the need to express their deepest thoughts and feelings while leaving behind their hopes, dreams, fears, and regrets inscribed on scraps of paper tucked into the wall’s crevices.
These writings are the essence of the never-ending striving for change and personal growth. Some confront their demons, grappling with doubts and seeking to reach new heights, while others celebrate their successes, mourn their losses, and pray for a better future.
This monument serves as a mirror to the human soul. It reflects one’s deepest longings alongside its profound struggles. It offers a glimmer of hope and faith all in the midst of darkness. It serves as a place to leave behind burdens and embrace new possibilities, like a shift in transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly.
Ofir Barak
Chrysalis
Book design by Ofir & Ksenia Barak
English text by Ofir Barak
132 pages
21 x 28 cm / 8.27 x 11.02 in.
53 black-and-white photographs
Hardcover with dust jacket
60€ (Including shipping worldwide)
https://www.ofirbarak.com/
