The three works presented by Chamutal Cohen are centered on the Shabbat (Jewish sabbath) clock as a research subject . The mechanism of this object is used mainly as a halakhic solution, which makes it possible to circumvent the ignition act performed by a human by planning in advance the activation time of the device on Shabbat and holidays. Cohen recognizes the Sabbath clock as an object of power and interest, and develops a visual language through it and inspired by it.

 

In her work Circle of Clocks, Cohen connected 12 Shabbat clocks in a closed circuit, with each clock in turn activating the next. This creates a non-stop work process, when the work itself is nothing but the activation of an operating system - a puzzling and pointless operation, which turns the sculpture into a kind of representation of a futile pursuit of time.

 

The Shabbat clock consists of a circle of protrusions, each of which embodies a quarter of an hour. In another work, Cohen created an elevated statue of one enlarged protrusion, which functions as an abstract totem and is crowned as an authentic representation of a unit of time.

 

In the wall work that spreads over the entire space of the room, thousands of small protrusions are glued to the wall in a laborious effort. The rows of protrusions surround stains and paint peelings, creating a visual image of the visible layers of time on the walls. The apparatus of protrusions that makes up the Shabbat clock is disassembled in a way that allows to grip and accumulate time.