Deactivate the Golem

collage, gouache and watercolour  17”h, 22.5”w  2025

This collage is part of my ongoing exploration of the golem as both mythic protector and cautionary figure in the age of artificial intelligence. In this collage, the golem has been deactivated—not only through mystical inscription, but also by lines of AI-generated code. I asked ChatGPT to write code to animate a golem, and then to imagine a genomic sequence for such a being. These sequences, translated into Hebrew via Google Translate, form a digital-spiritual script embedded in the composition.

The golem’s body, once a vessel of protection or destruction, is shown slumped and wounded. A birch tree branch pierces its chest—a stark, organic intrusion symbolizing the power of nature reclaiming dominance over the artificial. Around the golem lie drooping, decomposing tulips, their fading beauty hinting at loss, decay, and the passage of time.

There’s an ambiguous tension in this moment—Is the golem a victim, a monster, or both? Is it mourning the havoc it once unleashed, or is it simply obeying its final command to shut down? This piece raises questions about the ethics of creation, the limits of control, and what it means to deactivate something we never fully understood.

• Gouache
• Text
• Watercolour