“Der Himmel als Decke | The Sky as a Roof”
Jewish Cultural Museum Veitshöchheim
Opening: September 26, 2026; Exhibition dates: September 25 to October 2, 2026
Curated by: Johanna Weiß & Daniel Laufer
We warmly invite all Dagesh artists to participate in the exhibition “Der Himmel als Decke | The Sky as a Roof.” The exhibition is part of the nationwide series Dagesh-Studio on the Road, which highlights contemporary Jewish perspectives in current art. Following the Purim Edition in March in Dresden, we will continue the series in September 2026 with Dagesh-Studio on the Road #SukkotEdition 2026 in Veitshöchheim.
From September 26 to October 2, 2026, we will activate the Jewish Cultural Museum Veitshöchheim as well as the sukkah in the museum’s historic synagogue courtyard, creating a space where tradition and contemporary art meet. The exhibition opening will take place on September 26, 2026.
The exhibition “Der Himmel als Decke | The Sky as a Roof” takes the Jewish festival of Sukkot as a starting point for an artistic exploration of fragility, protection, and community in a time of crisis. Sukkot recalls the period of wandering and dwelling in temporary shelters during the Exodus from Egypt. The sukkah embodies a precarious space of protection that does not guarantee safety, but enables a moment of pause, openness, and togetherness.
Especially today, in the face of war, displacement, ecological crises, political uncertainty, social polarization, and increasing isolation, the symbolism of the sukkah gains renewed relevance. It represents temporary shelters such as those sought or improvised by refugees, marginalized groups, or people living in unstable conditions. In doing so, the sukkah raises a fundamental question—not only architecturally, but also socially: What does protection mean when it cannot be permanent? And what does community mean under fragile conditions?
For the occasion of the exhibition, a sukkah will be constructed that is both traditional and creatively designed. As a fragile structure, it remains permeable to the elements, far from the permanence of a solid building. Precisely in this temporality, a central idea of Sukkot becomes visible: the awareness that human life and all our achievements are fragile and exist within a larger context. This fragility invites us to acknowledge transience, connect with the present moment, and rediscover the value of simplicity and connectedness.
The gesture of invitation, sharing, and provisional gathering forms the core of the exhibition and points to the idea of community as a resilient practice: “Der Himmel als Decke” understands the sukkah as a space of encounter, where tradition and contemporary artistic positions converge—a place of listening, community, and reflection.
For the design of the exhibition and the opening program, we invite Dagesh artists to submit proposals. Your artistic contributions should reflect the dialogue between tradition and contemporary artistic practice and engage with themes such as fragility, transience, temporary protection in uncertain times, or forms of safety created through gathering in the sukkah and in community. Contributions that address Jewish perspectives in rural contexts are especially welcome.
Submissions may include completed works or project proposals in the form of two-dimensional works, small-scale sculptures, sound and video works, performance formats, essays, or poems.
Please submit:
Artists whose contributions are presented as part of the exhibition will receive an honorarium of €500. Travel and accommodation costs as well as expenses for transporting the works will be fully reimbursed. Unfortunately, production costs cannot be covered.
Application deadline: May 30, 2026
Please submit by email to: bewerbung@dagesh.de with the subject line “#Sukkot Edition 2026.”
For questions regarding the open call, please contact Alisa Gadas (info@dagesh.de) or Daniel Laufer (laufer@dagesh.de).
We look forward to receiving many contributions and to shaping this special space together!