In the exhibition “Knowledge of the Serpent,” Meshullam reveals the “Secrets of the World” according to the new-old religion, this time using Kabbalistic jargon and writing that resembles amulets, spells, and occult calligraphy. The point of departure is once again a book that Meshullam wrote as part of the eponymous exhibition. Alongside it, he creates a visual and thematic space full of secrets and encryptions, in which the prophecy of Ro’achen blends with the violence and destruction of contemporary reality. Meshullam’s project is a combination of a methodic doctrine and a stream of consciousness. It addresses the question of violence perpetrated in the name of purity, presents a conflict between tradition and savagery, and is embedded with self-portraits in various contexts: religious (Jacob), national (Herzl), and mythological (a sphinx with the body of a lion, large wings, and a snake’s tongue.) Meshullam references and tampers with biblical tales such as Jacob’s Ladder, the Binding of Isaac, the prophetic tirades of biblical prophets, and, naturally, the story of the primordial serpent who tempted Eve to sin by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge, as recounted in the book Genesis.

Link to Collection.