Above: (1 min 14 sec) Handshouse Gwoździec Re!construction project leaders and students painting the cove panels at White Stork Synagogue in Wroclaw, Poland, 2012. Courtesy of Handshouse Studio.

Project Overview:

Through the MAKING/HISTORY Wooden Synagogue Project, Handshouse produced an extensive collection of historical material research that is vital to the continued work of recovering lost heritage. We have also established a powerful educational model for learning-by-doing through workshops that collaboratively remake lost historical objects, reawakening whole worlds of both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The calls for access to our research and continued interest in our unique hands-on educational approach lead us to explore new ways to expand our capacity to share our process and resources.

Through the support of Mass Humanities grant funding, and collaboration with the POLIN Museum, we are starting the next chapter of the MAKING/HISTORY: Wooden Synagogue Project, creating A Portal to Gwoździec: a window illuminating the history of wooden synagogues for a wider public.

The Cove

The Gwoździec Synagogue cove is the long horizontal curved band of a floral motif that surrounds the entire base of the ceiling painting, creating a connection between the cupola ceiling with the four walls of the synagogue. It consists of four sections–north, south, east, and west, with repeating patterns of vine and flowers and a lower band which is similar to textile design patterns. Each side is over 30 feet and the whole cove consists of over 800 flowers and fruits, four large palm fans in each corner, and four arabesques with a medallion of Hebrew text.

Above: Group picture of the 2012 Gwoździec Cove Painting Workshop at The White Stork Synagogue, Sejny, Poland. The ceiling painting workshops took place in 8 cities throughout Poland in existing masonry synagogues.

Click here to return to the homepage of the digital exhibit on Kolture.