Due to heavy rain in the forecast, tonight’s High Line Tour: From Freight to Flowers has been canceled. We look forward to seeing you on a future tour!
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Michael Rakowitz
A Guide for the Perplexed
Michael Rakowitz (b. 1973, Long Island, New York) lives and works in Chicago, Illinois.
A Guide for the Perplexed is a 30-foot replica of the conical dome of the Tomb of Ezekiel—a historic site of simultaneous Jewish and Muslim worship. Constructed from an aggregate of pulped sacred materials sourced from both faith communities, the sculpture functions as a monumental genizah—a traditional depository for damaged holy texts—designed to be ceremonially buried at the end of its tenure. Inviting visitors to pass through the sculpture’s muqarnas-inspired arches to view shared linguistic histories, Rakowitz challenges the binary of Jewish and Arab identities, offering a meditative space for ritualized memory and cross-cultural peace.
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Renderings courtesy of the artist.