Hell and hope (Project draft, working title)
The four possible work series within the cycle are Promises, Poison, Courage, and Resilience. The final series on courage and resilience will only be published at a later date. Collaboration with many different kinds of people—like survivors and relatives with traumatizing experiences, and all of those who had the courage to stand up—must be approached very slowly and in a sensitive manner. (Expanded Project Considerations and Reflections, June 2024)
This cycle is currently in the initial evaluation and research phase and kind of a «growing and expanding document». Broadly speaking, it is an investigation into the culture of remembrance and our engagement with it as well as our handling of new challenges that are closely linked to the past but have nowadays a new relevance for us, as a society and as individuals. The following description represents an exploration, a probing and an immersion into the subject matter.
In this analysis, I adopt a research-focused perspective to examine the current global trend toward insularity and heightened nationalism, alongside the divisions within societies driven by claims of moral, religious, or racial supremacy. I explore the complexities and challenges of fostering dialogue across divergent ideologies and viewpoints. As we move through the first quarter of the 21st century, we once again witness the resurgence of various "isms" and their inherent connection to historical horrors, shaping the realities of the present.
This inquiry delves into the boundaries that define us, the lingering remnants of memory, and the echoes of loss and trauma. I examine the silent histories and the ways in which personal narratives are either immortalized or forgotten through acts of commemoration. The phenomenon of memories that fade yet persist within individual and collective consciousness, and the recurrent failure to draw lessons from them in shaping a more hopeful future, motivates a deeper engagement with these themes.
My research is influenced by Aleida Assmann and her scientific work on European memory culture, Yad Vashem research center for holocaust studies, author Hannah Arendt about the banality of evil, artist Natalia Romik including her collaborating team around the theme of the Shoa and the time before, author Jan Phillipp Reemtsma and his book « Why memorials? » and many more.
It primarily revolves around the narrative and how stories are told, both in the past and today. This is particularly interesting in comparison of commemorating wars on the one hand and genocides on the other, and most important if launched by government or private initiatives. The topic immediately raises many questions about authorship, winner or looser, the time it takes for stories to emerge, and the challenges of finally telling them—especially when dealing with deep traumas. Concerning genocides, it also highlights the dangers posed by historical revisionists, as we see today with those who attempt to minimize the Shoah by comparing it to other horrific atrocities within the colonialization narrative—often with a predominantly antisemitic agenda (Note: historians dispute 2.0).
The moment we move to high numbers, in war or genocide we start to see other challenges in a collective memory. Are the narratives too numerous or too scarce, and who claims ownership over them? Can we extricate these stories from the deep-seated pain of loss and trauma that runs through family lines?
Is it even feasible for an individual to overcome these traumatic events to a certain amount, overshadowing the shared memories of entire nations, ethnic groups, and religious communities that have endured wars and atrocities, such as the Shoa, the Armenian genocide, or the persecution of the Sinti and Roma? The enormity of losses and their ripple effects through generations is a profound topic of exploration, offering insights into the human condition and our collective history. Moreover, is it possible to deal and acknowledge the simultaneous existence of more then one and entitled narrative?
In my research on Courage, the third series within the cycle, I seek to amplify the voices of those who have actively opposed antisemitism and all forms of bigotry. These individuals have courageously spoken out against the prevailing attitudes, resisting the wave of hate and ignorance that surged in the tragic aftermath of October 7th, 2023. This event is intended to serve as a powerful example of the various ways in which "tolerating and looking away," along with silence, can contribute to the erosion of an open society. The resurgence of such hatred, blood libels, and defamation on this scale was almost unimaginable in our time and is a perilous period and warning for every open-minded and liberal individual. It could lead to a further hardening of extremes, even to future autocratic systems within the european heart.
The last of the cycle and future planned series will be about resilience. I aim to provide a platform for those who have emerged from darkness to rebuild their lives, demonstrating incredible strength. These stories may contribute to our own resilience, making us stronger and equipping us to face future challenges.
The brave as well as the traumatized should be heard.
At this juncture, I seek to pose inquiries, provide fewer responses, yet nonetheless adopt a personal artistic stance and position and trying to unravel the complex web of human experience interlaced with memory, loss, and the perpetual pursuit of peace. To intellectually and artistically interact with these topics could be a tiny contribution to establish a constructive dialogue. This is motivation enough to keep trying, again and again.
Promises
Both of the great wars in the last century but in particular the First World War was marked by promises to soldiers and citizens that were deeply rooted in a heightened form of nationalism, characteristic of the era. This intensified patriotism portrayed the war as a necessary and noble endeavor, where the defense of the homeland or the conquest of others was seen as both a duty and a glorious opportunity to demonstrate national superiority. Citizens were assured that their sacrifices would secure the nation’s rightful place in the world, fostering a sense of unity and purpose.
However, this fervent nationalism also fueled unrealistic expectations. The glorification of war, with its promises of honor, victory, and national pride, obscured the brutal realities of the conflict. The ensuing disillusionment exposed the dangerous gap between the idealized vision of national destiny and the devastating human cost.
Promises confronts us with thinking about the tragic consequences of nationalist ideologies as seen again nowadays with the current war between Russia and the Ukraine. In doing so, I illuminate places of the first Great War that have become symbols of delusion and mass death - places where young men, often no older than twenty, were drawn into the senseless vortex of war. Today this places serve as silent observers of the past, preserving their stories.
However, this fervent nationalism also fueled unrealistic expectations. The glorification of war, with its promises of honor, victory, and national pride, obscured the brutal realities of the conflict. The ensuing disillusionment exposed the dangerous gap between the idealized vision of national destiny and the devastating human cost.
Promises confronts us with thinking about the tragic consequences of nationalist ideologies as seen again nowadays with the current war between Russia and the Ukraine. In doing so, I illuminate places of the first Great War that have become symbols of delusion and mass death - places where young men, often no older than twenty, were drawn into the senseless vortex of war. Today this places serve as silent observers of the past, preserving their stories.
My research should also be a cautionary reminder of the fragility of peace but also about the rightness to fight and stand up against an ideology of annihilation as exemplary seen in the second Great War of the last century - which saved humanity from nothing less than enslavement. These contradictions are contained in the discourse on peace allready for decades and we should endure this dissonance in its parallelism. Nevertheless, we have to discuss, negotiate and question it again and again for a sustainable and peacefull future. One ask what else could be done to establish a dialogue between the past and the present, remembering that the lessons of history may not be forgotten.
Promises is intended to tell the story of the established form of the culture of remembrance, the anonymity of the individual in an encrypted way in the face of mass destruction and the dehumanization that wars bring with them. War memorial sites are almost exclusively regulated by state institutions and are still maintained and financed by tax payer money. The images of these places should stimulates our way of interpreting the current state and invites to take a criticial look on remembrance culture and question its meaning whether this form of memory has a future and influence within future societies.
Promises is intended to tell the story of the established form of the culture of remembrance, the anonymity of the individual in an encrypted way in the face of mass destruction and the dehumanization that wars bring with them. War memorial sites are almost exclusively regulated by state institutions and are still maintained and financed by tax payer money. The images of these places should stimulates our way of interpreting the current state and invites to take a criticial look on remembrance culture and question its meaning whether this form of memory has a future and influence within future societies.
Poison
final form, be printed on large paper. Technically and thematically, it consists of dissolving points,
similar to a spider web that slowly begins to disintegrate and fade, much like our memories. It captures
the ephemeral nature of artifacts and memories, highlighting the transience and fleetingness of our
experiences and recollections.
narrative. The final artifacts could be large-format photgraphs that hint but do not reveal, accuse but
are not overtly loud. They are images that we perceive as kind of decorative elements without
the explanatory momentum, thus carrying a form of innocence - however, their scope and depth only
become apparent in context and title. ( Notes, May 17th, 2024 Reflections on visuality)
the explanatory momentum, thus carrying a form of innocence - however, their scope and depth only
become apparent in context and title. ( Notes, May 17th, 2024 Reflections on visuality)
In the «Poison» series I dedicate myself to one of the darkest chapters in human history - the industrial and million-fold genocide that was carried out during the Second World War against the Jews of Europe as well as the Sinti and Roma, homosexuals and countless other innocent people.
This connection of past and present provides a profound understanding of events and their enduring relevance. The again highly topical metaphor of being cautious and attentive to the «canary in the coal mine» has been invoked in the past to highlight the rising dangers of antisemitism as a harbinger of broader societal issues. This metaphor, rooted in the historical practice of using canaries to detect toxic gases, symbolizes how the distress serves as an early warning of impending danger.
By this, commemoration is presented as a dynamic process that calls on us to continually engage with the past. As Adorno once stated there is «the rumor about the jews». Adorno speaks of a «secondary anti-Semitism». where he makes it clear that this form of hate is not based on experience and facts, but on hearsay.
Beside social media there is as well an anti-colonialist curricula in schools and universities teaching literaly a world of black and white or oppressor vs oppresed. This reversal and distortion of reality began long before October 7, 2023. Today we see that all areas of humanitarian organizations (UN, Black Lives Matter, UNWRA, Amnesty, #metoo etc.), cultural establishments, educational institutions, enviromental groups, the club scene and even the LGBTQA+ community etc. have been systematically infiltrated over the past two decades, often by the BDS movement (Boycott, Divest and Sanction) or by massive investments into university fonds by some well known supporter states in the middle east to name one example. All together is an extremly toxic mixture, resulting in a complete loss of critical thinking and denial of science, history, millenial old traditions and religious practices which finally leads to destruction of the very own free society.