The Sun Rises Community Survey

“My grandfather moved from his home country to another territory for economic reasons when he was in his teens. I was also born in that first country and moved away with my family for the same reasons during my childhood. Jacir’s work, I believe, resonates a lot with my personal experience. She addresses the repercussions of the physical disconnect but the emotional preoccupation with the homeland, as if the human being - no matter how far apart from its roots, will always project itself into that setting and still feel part of an ecosystem, a community, and an atmosphere. I have always felt as if I was carrying a piece of my country of birth, its culture, and its sense of community with me as if it was my talisman and my oasis, my refuge from everyday life. The questions "What if I was still there? What if my parents had decided to stay?” follow me in my daydreams and often nourish my sensation of belonging to that “imagined community” (Anderson, 1983).“

“Both works of art center around absences: an empty stadium symbolic of the 3 million Polish Jews killed during the Holocaust; the absence of Palestinians from the spaces they wish to visit, the food they wish to taste.” - Coby Formaggio

“I really connected with all of theses pieces. They transcended aesthetics or traditional conceptions of beauty - in a museum, I might not think twice to examine them but they are so rich in emotional content, and I’m grateful to have been a part of it.” - Nick Caesar-Kim

“Disconnecting a person from their heritage land disconnects them from their histories. The act of banning or restricting something concedes its value and importance and capacity for revolution and strength. What would happen if the borders disappeared?”

“I grew up in a very Jewish community. Jews who are in a diaspora that mirrors and is intertwined with the artwork by Jacir. I went to school in Israel where I was educated for hours a day on the history of Israel, which has definitely shaped my perspective on this art.”

“This was a great exhibition that had pure raw emotions and called to me. It gave a place of sadness, love, and hope. To not belong but to belong is a common underlying theme.”