The dialogue between an Israeli and an Austrian artist looking into their families’ past, from two extreme opposite sides, is obviously very challenging and sensitive. This joint project deals with the complexities of the conflicting aspects of the history of the Holocaust, together with the question of how we can relate to each other on this subject. It is like walking in a mines field, as every point and subject touched might turn out to be a step which results with one hurting others or himself.
Although both deal obsessively with their families past, there is a huge difference. While one is able to research using information from interviews with family members, whose lives continued normally after the war, the other can only relate to the few luckily remaining photos and letters as his family members perished. While one can trace and exhibit using continuous life in Austria, the other can only use up to date works and photos which reflect the personal family past in Wien and Berlin.
The idea of the “Two Family Archives” exhibition came up during Shimon Lev’s art residency in 2012 in Wien, to which he was invited to work on his project. Friedemann was one of the organizers of this project, initiated by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.
This joint exhibition “Two Families Archives”, is the result of that meeting.
