This collaborative project by Gambletron, Johnny Forever Nawracaj, and zev tiefenbach represents a potential touchstone for diasporic Eastern European Jewish collective memory as the three artists explore their shared Jewish and Polish ancestry. Gambletron and tiefenbach are Ashkenazi, a term that has come to refer to Jewish diaspora from Central and Eastern Europe that saw much of their population settle in Poland around the 13th century. tiefenbach’s grandparents were Holocaust survivors from Poland and Romania. Gambletron’s grandfather escaped violent pogrom attacks in Ukraine and their great-great grandfather was a notable Rabbi in Tarłów, Poland, who emigrated to Canada in 1910. Nawracaj is a Slavic Pole born a mere two-hour drive from the Rabbi’s birthplace. These ancestral connections and histories of displacement link the artists and have motivated their shared interest in researching and responding to these sites.

This project is activated through a 10-day residency (July 10 - July 20) in The Cube where the artists will create artwork from their source material and reflect on the work together. Visitors are invited to this open studio opportunity to view the work in progress and speak to the artists about their practices.