Untitled 

This Untitled work is by Marcelle Cahn, who was born in 1895. Coming of age in the early 20th century, Cahn's work cannot be separated from the social upheaval of that time. As a Jewish woman, Cahn was forced to flee France during the Nazi occupation. Consider, then, this work's arrangement of geometric shapes—red circles interspersed amongst a grid of off-white rectangles—as a means of reflecting on the complex configurations of identity, place and belonging. She once said, "I have always sought to go beyond appearances and to see what is hidden behind them." One might see these shapes as standing in for people; the grid that both supports and contains them, suggestive of societal structures; and the stark red dots perhaps symbolizing the individual’s struggle within it. Although abstract, the piece encourages us to consider the intricate dance between individuality and conformity, freedom and oppression, and the emotional impact of these dynamics on our lives.