An Analysis of Collective Memory Mechanisms and the Aesthetics of Rituals Based on Inferno by Yael Bartana

Yael Bartana, one of the most famous contemporary Israeli artists, explores the topic of shaping identity within the framework of contemporary policies to preserve the memory. When referring to the present, she does not forget about the past—the cultural heritage of her nation always underpins the presented film narratives. In her film Inferno (2013), the artist presents us with an evocative image, almost Hollywood-style in its framing and montage, of the future based on the myth of the Third Temple, which is important to the identity of the Jews. In this work, an important role is played by biblical symbols, religious rituals, mystical prophecies, contemporary Israeli society; it also includes an amazing but fully justifiable element—an innovative religious enterprise, which is a building called “New Jerusalem” in Brazil. The author of Inferno creates a social experiment with the help of the film, stages the reality within it, observes what is happening and finally “documents” it. This article is an attempt to analyse the subsequent layers of Bartana’s story, in order to take a detailed look at the artistic practice of the Israeli artist. I am interested in how she uses film art to explore the relationship between memory and events, places and objects, and how religious and social rituals can, in her view, shape collective memory. She wants her viewers to ask questions and reflect upon their own identity and history, which is largely based on narratives constructed by social rituals.