Fence Around the Tora
The Jewish Museum in Berlin gives a broad public some insight into the history and way of life of Germans with Jewish faith in a comprehensive permanent exhibition, varying temporary special exhibitions, a learning center and in various events.
In the context of the permanent exhibition we realized an interactive installation about the Talmud. The Talmud is an important addition to the Tora. It emerged from the necessity to preserve the Jewish way of life. With the Tora defining rules the Talmud discusses these rules. Before people started to put it down in writing about 2500 years ago, the Talmud was transmitted orally from generation to generation. The writing of the Talmud has never been finally ended but complemented and extended. This explains the characteristic layout of the Talmud.
The interactive installation concentrates on the transition from oral to written transmission of the knowledge, the dynamic character of the book and the explanation of the resulting layout. Essentially it comprises an empty open book on which computer generated images are projected. The visitors can fill an empty page with text by blowing on it. The virtual letters seem to fly out of their mouths to their positions on the page. Sensors measuring the air pressure transfer the intensity and direction of the flow of air to a computer which projects an animation on the book. The development of the page is accompanied by explaining texts on the opposite page.
Sensation and information
At this installation the immaterial way of interacting by blowing appears magic. Considering an exhibition with a high density of information and an extensive topic like the Talmud we gave preference to a strong sensual experience to escalating informational content.
Images
Credits
Concept: Ralph Ammer, Joachim Sauter
Design: Ralph Ammer, Simon Häcker, Joachim Sauter
Hardware: Dieter Sachse
Project management: Hans-Jörg Woite
Programming: Ralph Ammer, Frank Tinapp
Client: Jewish Museum Berlin