Agents of liberation. Holocaust memory in contemporary art and film documentary

The book offers case studies on the representation of the Holocaust in contemporary art practices of the 2000s. It examines film projects made by key artists of the international art scene that are capable of reflecting critically upon forms of Holocaust memory and their historical, political and cultural aspects. Kékesi connects the moral implications of the memory of the Holocaust with a critical analysis of contemporary societies, focusing upon artists who are deeply engaged in doing both of the above within the context of three regions: Eastern Europe (especially Poland), Germany, and Israel. The case studies apply current methods of contemporary art theory and try to unfold their implications in terms of memory politics and social critique.00Through carefully selected art projects, the author helps to understand the specific historical, cultural and political circumstances that influence the way people in Eastern Europe speak - and do not speak - about the Holocaust. Cover 1 Title page 4 Copyright page 5 Table of contents 6 Introduction 8 Part I: The Politics of Testimony 18 Chapter 1: The Reappropriation of Violence: The Speech of the Resistance Fighters / Claude Lanzmann: Shoah (1985) and Sobibór, 14 October 1943, 4pm (2001) 20 Chapter 2: The Restoration of Difference: The Speech of the Perpetrator / Claude Lanzmann: Shoah (1985) 44 Part II: The Archive, In Spite of All 66 Chapter 3: The Melancholy of the Archive 68 Chapter 4: The Afterlife of Images / Harun Farocki: Respite (2007 78 Chapter 5: Mediating the Perpetrator’s Speech / Romuald Karmakar: The Himmler Project (2000) 100 Chapter 6: In the Leading Role: Adolf Eichmann / Eyal Sivan: The Specialist (1999) 116 Part III: Site and Speech 140 Chapter 7: The Erasure of the Trace: The Restoration of Meaning /Artur Żmijewski: 80064 (2004) 142 Chapter 8: Trauma and Simulacra / Omer Fast: Spielberg’s List (2003) 156 Chapter 9: From the Culture of Grief to the Politics of Imagination / Yael Bartana: Polish Trilogy (2007–2011 176 Chapter 10: Agents of Liberation / Clemens von Wedemeyer: Rushes (2012) 196 Bibliography 214 Index 226 Back cover 230 The book explores representations of the Holocaust in contemporary art practices. Through carefully selected art projects, the author illuminates the specific historical, cultural, and political circumstances that influence the way we speak--or do not speak--about the Holocaust. The book's international focus brings into view film projects made by key artists reflecting critically upon forms of Holocaust memory in a variety of geographical contexts. Kékesi connects the ethical implications of the memory of the Holocaust with a critical analysis of contemporary societies, focusing upon artists who are deeply engaged in doing both of the above within three regions: Eastern Europe (especially Poland), Germany, and Israel. The case studies apply current methods of contemporary art theory, unfolding their implications in terms of memory politics and social critique