A solo show by Somerville artist Charlie Dov Schön, “A Brand New Hole in the Sky,” opened Friday at West Concord’s micro art space The Tender, putting at center stage a lesser-known character from Jewish folklore named Ziz.
Ziz is a massive, griffinlike creature, a leviathan of the air. (According to its Wikipedia page, an egg accidentally dropped by the Ziz crushed 300 trees and flooded 60 cities.) Schön said she learned about the creature via a job in textile conservation, where she found a book on Jewish garments that set her down a path of further research. Through that, she found textiles in other collections that featured the Ziz.
Though Ziz is a gigantic creature, Schön’s version of him is, by necessity, small – a plushlike soft sculpture gives him an innocent, childlike feel. Behind the sculpture sits a sheer textile piece with a bluebird motif; under the Ziz’s wing, a small city is in ruins. Yet the color scheme and soft textures evoke a sense of comfort, of courage amid destruction.
Schön sees the Ziz as a protective figure, one “whose great wings spread to shield the vulnerable,” she said. She hopes for the installation to be a place to both grieve and rebuild.
Despite his small size, Schön’s Ziz speaks volumes. It’s fitting for this bite-sized but powerful piece to be housed at The Tender – a space that’s mostly window, but around the width of a hallway you can walk in just far enough to have to turn around to leave. Since 2023, it has brought a small but mighty sense of experimentation to the suburbs. “A Brand New Hole in the Sky,” is on view there through April 4.
The Tender Artspace, 45½ Commonwealth Ave., Concord.
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