What is solace? What is consolation? Can they be found while experiencing trauma? May they be offered or given proactively? And how can we assess whether they are truly felt? The insights obtained during the study have led to the conclusion that there are three stages on the way to nechama, the Hebrew word that combines solace and consolation: the ongoing trauma, attention, and finally the consolation which emerges spontaneously and brings a moment of light to the darkness.
The idea for the project came from my personal experiences as a reservist. The surprising encounter with feelings of solace and consolation in a difficult time made me want to cherish and study these moments. In interviews with other reservists, I heard about personal moments of nechama experienced in diverse situations. The experiences of reservists, united in a camaraderie despite their sociocultural differences, can serve as a source of solace and consolation for all Israeli society.
Defining consolation as a sense of peacefulness and relief thanks to emotional or physical encounter with an inner or outer source has enabled to determine parameters enabling to increase the likelihood of experiencing nechama. The installation contains elements that combine contact, light and sound, which simulate nechama metaphorically. It is designed to promote the encounter with solace and consolation by focusing attention during trauma. Collecting information on the go enables to adjust the installation experience. In addition, the information collected from all users can serve as a basis for a future study.
Michael holds a B.Sc in mechanical engineering from the Technion and an M.Des in industrial design from Bezalel. He works as an R&D engineer at a medical company developing life-saving cancer treatment. Michael is passionate about science, humanity, and culture across time, and is interested in how these elements interrelate, aiming to create innovative solutions with a positive impact on the world.