Anne Frank

Holocaust Diaries

The Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center presents the exhibition “Anne Frank. Holocaust Diaries”. The project is based on personal diaries written by young women in ghettos and occupation zones.

During the World War II a lot of members of Jewish community led diaries but only few of them survived: when found, personal writings were always destroyed being a historical evidence of committed crimes. The new exhibition tells stories of six girls – Anne Frank, Hélène Berr, Eva Heyman, Elisabeth Kaufmann and Rutka Laskier – recreated using their writings and personal archives.

Autobiographical texts filled with emotions and youth experiences, historical artifacts and sound installations created using the girls memories explore the process of growing up during the Holocaust.

The exhibition “Anne Frank. Holocaust Diaries”  is an attempt of bringing memory back to life by remembering not only fears and losses but also dreams and hopes. In the face of stuffiness and absurd restrictions Anne Frank, Hélène Berr, Eva Heyman and other young women write about their first love, flowers and beautiful dresses, about their passion for books and knowledge.

Using the personal writings curators present those feminine experiences in three dimensions: in space, in sound and in image. The architecture of the exhibition reminds us of narrow and confined space of attics and cellars, heavily guarded and overcrowded ghettos and hostile streets of the towns that people could still call home just yesterday.

In this crowded space packed with impressions and emotions personal stories engage in an intimate dialogue with contemporary art. Exhibition includes works by famous artists that focus on the Holocaust, nature of violence and personal memory of victims: German painter Anselm Kiefer, Polish sculptor and video artist Miroslaw Balka, French multimedia artist Christian Boltanski, Austrian performance artist Hermann Nitsch, Russian painter Haim Sokol, Israeli photo and video artist Ori Gersht, avant-guarde artist and sculptor Vadim Sidur and founder of ‘auto-destructive art’ Gustav Metzger.

Curator: Monica Norse
Author of idea: Katya Krylova
Architects: Kirill Asse, Nadegda Korbut

January 28 — April 1, 2019

Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center
Obraztsova St., 11, build. 1A
127055 Moscow
Russia
www.jewish-museum.ru