PROJECT DESCRIPTION

  • Mikołaj Grynberg’s project is based on a cycle of photographs: portraits of the visitors to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Place and colour photographs of the former Nazi concentration camp;
  • black and white portrait photographs present unclear and blurred silhouettes intentionally, which gives it universal meaning;
  • the idea of the project came from Mikołaj Grynberg’s personal experiences, his family history as well as multiple visits to Auschwitz-Birkenau and observing others;
  • the artist’s goal is to get into relations with other visitors, using the space of the former Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration camp as the emotions’ inductor. The artist wishes to understand his own penetrating need to constantly return to the Memorial Place.

 

“AUSCHWITZ, WHAT AM I DOING HERE?” will consist of:

  • bilingual album publication;
  • photography exhibition;
  • educational program;
  • portal/ web site.

 

UNIQUE VALUE OF THE PROJECT:

  • quotations from the dialogues with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum visitors enrich the photographic layer;

  • the artist, through confronting others, challenges himself with the title question …

 

  • I come here as it is the biggest cemetery in the world. With not even one tombstone in sight - student

  • I came here to confront it, to experience to feel the emotions. You have to come here .– pupil

  • They did business here. Every war is business and politics. They used everything, even human hair. I feel very angry when I see that we do not learn from such experiences. - teacher

  • Why did people from the nearby town allow this to happen? I feel angry. – teacher

  • What happened to the survival instinct of those people? I came here to understand this. Now I know and I feel shame for thinking this way. – teacher

  • After seeing all this I think we have to be very careful about what is happening around us. We can not allow something lie this to happen ever again beneath someone’s nose. - pupil

  • My grandfather survived ths Camp. Before I came here he told me to see what there will be to see and try not to feel a thing. And, did you listen to him? Yes, otherwise I wouldn’t handle it. – pupil

  • I came here with my pupil as I am a teacher and my job is to educate and warn future generations. I am scared that it will not be enough for the world to remember. - teacher

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design: STUDIO27