Within this exploration I take a research-oriented perspective to look at the current global shift towards insularity and nationalistic fervor, probing the complexities  and the challenges of engaging in dialogue across divergent ideologies or viewpoints. In this first quarter of the 21st century, we face again numerous «isms» coming to the fore with the horrors of history and their inevitable connection to produce the present.  Our inquiry investigates the boundaries that define us, the remnants of memory , the  echoes  of loss and trauma, the silent histories, and the ways in which personal narratives are either immortalized or forgotten within the acts of commemoration. The phenomenon of memories dissolving, yet persisting in the individual and societal narrative, and our apparent failure to learn from them to shape a more positive future, serves as a catalyst for a deeper engagement with these themes.

A recent expression from my stepson during a talk encapsulates this sentiment succinctly: 

« Your parents lived through the last war against Nazism in the sanctuary of Switzerland, your father was nineteen and in the same age as
I am today. And we both know Shoa survivors in our closest circle who endured unimaginable suffering. »


His remark, a blend of surprise and realization what history means has prompted a new understanding of the proximity of these events to our own lives.

On the other hand, Yuval Noah Harari’s recent works and interviews present a challenging stance on the culture of remembrance, questioning our approach to historical events. «It is the best reason to learn history not in order to predict the future but to free yourself from the past and Imagine alternative destinies. People are caught up in the history, in the stories we tell about the past. Nevertheless I think we have to learn more history not in order to remember what happened a hundred or 500 years ago and who did what to whom but to be liberated from «all this dead people from the past» basically holding captive our imagination, our mind, our feelings and forcing us to continue their conflicts, their hatreds and their fears.»
Yuval Noah Harari on what history teaches, Interview with Adam Grant, May 2024, Link to transcript

This raises critical questions: 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 feasible for an individual to forget these traumatic events, overshadowing the shared memories of entire nations, ethnic groups, and religious communities that have endured wars and atrocities, such as the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, or the persecution of the Sinti and Roma?

The enormity of these 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 acknowledge the simultaneous existence of greed and malevolence alongside the longing for peace and a better world? Do these stories contribute to our resilience, equipping us to face future challenges, and necessitate a constant state of defensive readiness? 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.          

Expanded Project Considerations and Reflections, April 2024
In the work cycle "Its not easy but the truth lies within" with its four series of works, a subtle connection between places of historical horror is revealed, silent representatives of history without or only hinted at once obvious traces of what happened being visible. «The idea of a work cycle that unfolds through interlocking series of works can be understood as a kind of artistic ecosystem. In his structure, the individual rows interact with each other and form a complex narrative that extends across different levels and perspectives. Each series of works has its own meaning and story, but as a whole a complex image emerges that invites the viewer to explore the connections and interactions.» that extends across different levels and perspectives. The four Work Series within the Cycle are Delusion, Resistance, Poison and Resilience. The final serie on resilience will only be published at a later date because research and collaboration with survivors and relatives with traumatizing experiences must be approached very slowly and in a sensitive matter.

Delusion confronts us with thinking about the tragic consequences of nationalist ideologies. In doing so, I illuminate places that have become symbols of delusion and mass death - places where young men, often no older than twenty, were drawn into the vortex of war by the seductive and destructive forces of nationalism. These men, thrown into the “meat grinder” of conflict, are representative of millions sacrificed in the turmoil of history.

The cycle is intended to tell the story of the anonymity of the individual in an encrypted way in the face of mass destruction and the dehumanization that wars bring with them. They pay homage to the countless lives extinguished in the trenches and on the battlefields and serve as a cautionary reminder of the fragility of peace. In doing so, I invite you to reflect on the meaning of these places today and how they shape our collective memory and our future and try to establish a dialogue between the past and the present, remembering that the lessons of history do not may be forgotten. 

It conveys the idea that the places themselves serve as silent observers
of the past, preserving their stories even when they are no longer openly revealed.

Anthony Richards, head of documents and sound at the museum, said although the soldiers were issued with cloth 
or paper ID tags, some made their own for fear of ending up – as so many did – an unidentifiable corpse in a mass grave.

Many were not formal last letters. Thomas Farlam wrote cheerfully in September to ask his wife for a notebook. 
Annie’s letter, stained with the Somme mud, was found 
among his possessions after his death on 16 September.
Royston Jones wrote on 10 September to his parents, 
Amelia and Charles, at home in Hackney, east London, assuring them that he was «quite in the pink» and had 
got their parcel. He ended: 


« I want some safety razor blades as soon as poss as
I have run out of them also. »

Five days later he was dead, aged 20.
Letters of fallen soldiers, The Guardian, June 30 2016

It lies within (Project Draft, Working title)

Within this exploration I take a research-oriented perspective to look at the current global shift towards insularity and nationalistic fervor, probing the complexities  and the challenges of engaging in dialogue across divergent ideologies or viewpoints. In the first quarter of the 21st century, we face again numerous «isms» coming to the fore with the horrors of history and their inevitable connection to produce the present.  Our inquiry investigates the boundaries that define us, the remnants of memory , the  echoes  of loss and trauma, the silent histories, and the ways in which personal narratives are either immortalized or forgotten within the acts of commemoration. The phenomenon of memories dissolving, yet persisting in the individual and societal narrative, and our apparent failure to learn from them to shape a more positive future, serves as a catalyst for a deeper engagement with these themes.


On the other hand, Yuval Noah Harari’s recent works and interviews present a challenging stance on the culture of remembrance, questioning our approach to historical events. «It is the best reason to learn history not in order to predict the future but to free yourself from the past and Imagine alternative destinies. People are caught up in the history, in the stories we tell about the past. Nevertheless I think we have to learn more history not in order to remember what happened a hundred or 500 years ago and who did what to whom but to be liberated from «all this dead people from the past» basically holding captive our imagination, our mind, our feelings and forcing us to continue their conflicts, their hatreds and their fears.»
Yuval Noah Harari on what history teaches, Interview with Adam Grant, May 2024, Link to transcript

This raises critical questions: 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 feasible for an individual to forget these traumatic events, overshadowing the shared memories of entire nations, ethnic groups, and religious communities that have endured wars and atrocities, such as the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, or the persecution of the Sinti and Roma?

The enormity of these 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 acknowledge the simultaneous existence of greed and malevolence alongside the longing for peace and a better world? Do these stories contribute to our resilience, equipping us to face future challenges, and necessitate a constant state of defensive readiness? 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.          

Expanded Project Considerations and Reflections, April 2024
In the work cycle "It lies within" with its four series of works, a subtle connection between places of historical horror is revealed, silent representatives of history without or only hinted at once obvious traces of what happened being visible. «The idea of a work cycle that unfolds through interlocking series of works can be understood as a kind of artistic ecosystem. In his structure, the individual rows interact with each other and form a complex narrative that extends across different levels and perspectives. Each series of works has its own meaning and story, but as a whole a complex image emerges that invites the viewer to explore the connections and interactions.» that extends across different levels and perspectives. The four Work Series within the Cycle are Delusion, Resistance, Poison and Resilience. The final serie on resilience will only be published at a later date because research and collaboration with survivors and relatives with traumatizing experiences must be approached very slowly and in a sensitive matter.

Delusion confronts us with thinking about the tragic consequences of nationalist ideologies. In doing so, I illuminate places that have become symbols of delusion and mass death - places where young men, often no older than twenty, were drawn into the vortex of war by the seductive and destructive forces of nationalism. These men, thrown into the “meat grinder” of conflict, are representative of millions sacrificed in the turmoil of history.

The cycle is intended to tell the story of the anonymity of the individual in an encrypted way in the face of mass destruction and the dehumanization that wars bring with them. They pay homage to the countless lives extinguished in the trenches and on the battlefields and serve as a cautionary reminder of the fragility of peace. In doing so, I invite you to reflect on the meaning of these places today and how they shape our collective memory and our future and try to establish a dialogue between the past and the present, remembering that the lessons of history do not may be forgotten. 

It conveys the idea that the places themselves serve as silent observers
of the past, preserving their stories even when they are no longer openly revealed.

The images are intended to represent a visual synthesis and create an imagery that stimulates thought and invites viewers to take a new look at the past and question its meaning for the present.

The final artifacts are printed dissolving points on paper, akin to a spider’s web that slowly begins to unravel, fading much like our memories. It captures the ephemeral nature of artifacts and memories, and suggests the impermanence and fleeting quality of our experiences and recollections.

                                      

«We must be very caution and
paying attention to the canary
in the coal mine.»

The final artifacts are large-format photographs 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. 

«The hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews.» Jonathan Sacks, Former british Chief Rabbi

A significant photographic aspect of my work involves the 
exploration and translation of visual memory, both within 
the scenographic-architectural context related to individual 
thematic areas and through directly historical artifacts or 
sculptures and their impact, artistically, psychologically, 
and as a societal element of identity formation.

Reflections on the visuality of rememberance

Reflections on the visuality of rememberance