Prague Journal

Wednesday, March 23, 2005.

Charles and Claudia left on a mid-morning train to Bratislava, where they’ll stay a few days before flying back to the US via Vienna (which is quite convenient from Bratislava).
Rabbi Narrowe, who is in town for Purim, gave a lecture on “the real story of Purim” at the Jewish Education Center this evening. Rick is feeling under the weather – he thinks he may have the flu – so I went alone. Rabbi Narrowe had invited both of us to dinner and was disappointed that Rick was not able to come. There were three of us at dinner, however, since he had also invited Cynthia Rubin, who is in Prague for two weeks to show off her interactive art exhibit at the Guttmann Gallery, adjacent to the Spanish Synagogue.
Cynthia is a visual artist, a teacher at the Rhode Island School of Design, who has been working in the field of digital media and computer graphics since the 1980s. Her presentation is a part of the exhibition series “Places of Memory,” which explores the potential of public spaces as loci for remembrance and the interpretation of history, and part of the “Jewish Presence in Contemporary Visual Arts,” which is now in its third year at the Robert Guttmann Gallery. Cynthia’s exhibit, “Layered Histories,” is the imaginary story of a 13th century illuminated Hebrew manuscript, today known as the “Marseilles Bible,” done in collaboration with electronic-music composer Bob Gluck. (Rick and I had gone to Bob Gluck’s presentation last month, but had not been able to go to Cynthia's presentation last week.) After our dinner together, she and I had tea and chatted late into the evening. Now, having met her, I am more interested in seeing her exhibit before it leaves this weekend.

posted by JWinn @ 8:36 PM