Elana Langer (חוה)
Contemporary Folk Artist I Community-Based Creator
BINDING LIGHT
The Art of Prayer
THE INTENTION
Binding Light is a conceptual art prayer project that cultivates both our individuality and our unity.
By literally and conceptually tying our prayers together, we are tying our hearts together (prayer is called “service of the heart”).
Like all artistic or creative expression, prayer is deeply personal. It expresses the authentic yearnings of our soul. And yet, when we engage in the practice (and project) of prayer we are united in shared effort. It becomes a way to join together (at a safe social distance) during this time of isolation and vulnerability.
This participatory piece invites people around the world, in the safety and comfort of your home, to deepen and focus a connection to ourselves, to others, and with the world creating a unified conceptual prayer at a time we are unable to gather together in our traditional ways.
Making a BINDING LIGHT chain
You will need:
Paper, Scissors, string, a pen
Download the BINDING LIGHT instructions (link below)
Tie your to a tree, on a lamps, from the ceiling- anywhere that brings you delight.
That’s it!
When your string is full of prayers:
email us a photo and tell us your story.
*This invitation to participate in BINDING LIGHT for yourself or your community is intended for non-commercial, non-fund-raising purposes only
Join the Community
How it started
The motivation behind the project.
BINDING LIGHT is a project conceived by Elana Langer, a Canadian born, New York based conceptual artist that has been living (and praying) in Jerusalem during this time of Corona.
The project is inspired by her own “call to prayer” that she experienced while spending time in Jerusalem, and witnessing how comfortable people of all religions feel to pray openly in public spaces — without fear of ridicule or disturbance.
BINDING LIGHT honors the city where one might wrap tefilin in the same lobby as a muslim unrolls his prayer rug, and the deepest of truths revealed during this pandemic — Like it, or not like it, we are all here together.