Force Majeure
Fall 2024 at the Skirball
Created especially for the Skirball, this immersive installation by multidisciplinary artist Jonathan York explores the interplay between destruction and renewal, loss and hope. Force Majeure, the sixth iteration of The Sukkah Project, invites viewers into a space where nature, history, and memory converge. 6,000 pounds of burnt wood, including pieces gathered from homes destroyed on October 7th, 2023, stand in stark contrast to the living garden of 200 plants, which symbolizes resilience and the enduring force of life.
Hebrew poems by 12th century Sephardic Jewish scholar Yehuda HaLevi carved into the wood deepen the historical and spiritual dimensions of this work, while a soundscape of natural and archival recordings from across Israel envelops the space. This installation reflects York’s journey through Israel over the past year and his ongoing exploration of the sukkah as both a spiritual symbol and a contemporary artistic medium.
A lawyer by day, the artist chose Force Majeure as the title of this year’s iteration of The Sukkah Project. Force majeure is a legal term (derived from the French phrase “superior force”) that describes unexpected and disruptive events that nullify a contract. In the context of October 7th, we are left to contemplate: what is the ‘force majeure’? Acts of terror, or the strength of a people who were broken but rise again? The devastation wrought by war, or the resilience of nature which continues to bloom? This installation suggests that these disparate acts and emotions can—and must—be held simultaneously as we collectively move forward after a devastating year.
