We! Are! Here! The Exhibition is open!
Dear friends of IMAGO!
On the occasion the 80th anniversary of the Wannsee Conference, at which the murder of eleven million people was organized, I was invited by the Scholary Platform History & Documentation e.V. to deliver the fotographic-artistic part by portraying Holocaust-survivors together with their (great-)grandchildren in the IMAGO Camera. This project is one of the most touching works that I have been able to carry out with the IMAGO Camera so far.
The exhibition will be open from 20 January 2022.
We! Are! Here!
A photographic “Nevertheless!” on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Wannsee Conference commemorated on January 20th, 2022.
Survivors of the Holocaust and their descendants, in 15 full-length, life-size, portraits,
together with their thoughts on the Wannsee Conference.
Dr. Julien Reitzenstein, author and historian, prepared the historical-scientific basis for this touching portrait series of the survivors of the Holocaust together with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
What is special:
For decades, the perpetrators of the atrocity, in all their individuality, have been the focus of attention – whilst, on the other hand, “the victims” were generally spoken of as a depersonalized group.
These life size portraits raise the profile of the survivors and their families to the deserved predominant position, displacing the perpetrators and removing them from their previous position of historic dominance. Each of these IMAGOgrams shows a survivor together with a grandson or great-grandson. You see the symbolic, empty conference table of the Wannsee Conference, which appears as if it has just been abandoned. The crumpled cloth serviettes lie on elegant plates, between them lie the minutes of the conference – the death sentence for millions but, also, for those standing around the table. The perpetrators are gone, the survivors shout: “WE! ARE! HERE!” The science institutionHistory & Documentation e.V, which specializes in Nazi history, accepted sponsorship of the project “WE! ARE! HERE!.
All of these survivors – from Israel, England, Hungary and Germany – came to Berlin with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren for these portraits to be taken in the IMAGO Camera. And that in the midst of the pandemic! Without this admirable willingness the IMAGOgrams for the exhibition would not have been possible. We would like to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts!
Everyone involved in the project is also very grateful to the President of the Berlin House of Representatives, Dennis Buchner, for welcoming the premier of “WIR! ARE! HIER!” into the most important building in the German capital in terms of protocol. The installation with its IMAGOgrams is located in the lobby of the Berlin Parliament.
Dennis Buchner opened the artistic memorial installation with a speech which can be read through the link:
https://agh.berlin/wirsindhier
The exhibition will be on view in the House of Representatives until March 4th, 2022. Advance registration (due to the pandemic) is currently requested. Subsequently it is planned for the exhibition to travel around the world. Other survivors will be portrayed and the installation will be continually expanded.
We would also like to draw your attention to the following press:
Information on the project and schedules for further exhibitions of this project are permanently updated on www.wsh2022.de, where is as well a donation tool.
Susanna Kraus and the IMAGO Team
Photo: exhibition view ©AnnKatrin Warter/ IMAGO Camera