58 | NOVEMBER 11 • 2021 ARTS&LIFE ART E ven before the Fifth Jerusalem Biennale opened new artistry to the in-person and digital public Nov. 11-Dec. 30, a specialized award was presented for a proj- ect created by a Michigan artist and distanced teammates. The 2021 Isaac Anolic Jewish Book Arts Award of $1,500 went to The House Is in the Book: A Collaboration in Isolation, jointly developed by artists Lynne Avadenka of Huntington Woods, Andi Arnovitz of Jerusalem and Mirta Kupferminc of Buenos Aires, with consultation provided by Emily Bilski, a Jerusalem-based curator-author exploring the interface of art, cultural history and the Jewish experience. The piece, in a limited-text book format, fit right in with the Biennale theme, “Four Cubits, ” the ancient designa- tion of personal space, which is thought to measure not far from 6 feet in today’s terms, the measurement suggested for social distancing. Some 300 artists, working in different media for display in venues across the city, have expressed various approaches to the subject so recently on the minds of people worldwide. From jewelry to installations — and discussions to go along with different segments — this year’s program considers rele- vant questions, such as the cre- ation and/or display of artistry in private domains. “The title of our piece comes from a poem by Edmond Jabès, an Egyptian Jewish poet who wrote about books, ” said Avadenka, who is also director of Signal-Return, a nonprofit Detroit letterpress print shop and community arts center. “We thought it was evocative in the sense that we were work- ing collaboratively but all in different houses. Other connec- tions to the title include having the book’s pages being housed together in a box. ” In keeping with the Biennale theme, four pages were allot- ted to each of the three artists engrossed with the new book, an inspiration for a six-minute video titled Threshold to be shown at the Biennale. Because the collaborative piece also will be accompanied by individual book projects developed earlier by the artists, the joint initiative becomes part of an exhibit in its own right. BRINGING THE IDEA TO LIFE The team project began at the behest of Arnovitz, who met Avadenka years ago at an artists’ gathering in Italy. The originating idea was to use the book format separately while sharing common themes and interests to provide continuity. The resulting book is printed in a limited edition of 15, each kept in a custom portfolio box. Lynne Avadenka’s collaborative book project themed around the idea of ‘four cubits’ wins award. Six Feet Apart SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER In this image from Lynne Avadenka’s section of The House Is in the Book: A Collaboration in Isolation, titled “Folio 1,” she refers to win- ter as one of the four seasons, Rachel as one of the four matriarchs, west as one of four directions and the four phases of the moon. There is a four-sided kite to present the idea of the element of freedom still available to some extent while in confinement. Details To get more information and experience the “Fifth Jerusalem Biennale,” go to jerusalembiennale.org. For more information on the individual artists of The House Is in the Book: A Collaboration in Isolation, go to lynneavadenka.com, andiarnovitz.com and mirtakupferminc.net.