Hot/Cold Table

The interior part of the HOT/COLD project invited touch in support of human interaction and cultural connection as a universal way of knowing the world. The work engaged both the rarity of and necessity to support non-violent physical contact with the other. It highlighted the magical spark created by touch, dialogue, and play. An extended table surface connected interior to exterior to spark cross-community dialogue and spontaneous interaction across religious, cultural, and generational lines.

Within the gallery, the HOT/COLD table becomes an intimate object referencing shared meals and inviting touch. The interior table’s topographic surface was developed from photographs of a shared dinner. Open-ended phrases in Hebrew and Arabic were stenciled on this surface and then covered with heat-sensitive opaque ink. When a warm hand touched the surface, the black ink cleared, revealing questions and phrases, inspiring curiosity, and sparking conversation.