In these times of industrialization and globalization, more and more anonymous objects with no past and cultural context are produced. Today, Chinese factories are the source of most items in our home rather than local workshops. It seems that there is no trace of the engraver’s knife or the potter’s fingerprint. In methods of serial fabrication we sand every flash and remove every blemish so as to leave no evidence of the production process.
“Gained in Translation” is a case study that tries to restore meaning to the formation of the objects around us. In a process where each object influences the next, a readymade Kiddush Cup becomes the archetype for other Shabbat paraphernalia. The shape, ornamentation and function are affected directly by the manufacturing processes of these traditional objects.
