A collaborative art installation produced by two University art professors debuted Jan. 27 in conjunction with the Dr. Madeleine Albright lecture in the Morris Cultural Arts Center.
The installation by Michael Collins, chair of the art department and artist in residence, and Hanz Molzberger, artist affiliate, entitled "Walking On Ashes," serves as a memorial to Holocaust victims. In addition to serving as a memorial, Molzberger said he felt the urgency to remind future generations that the atrocity took place.
"The work is our emotion, our reflection and, in that way, our statement is to get people thinking."
The result of the artists' emotions, reflections, and statements is a multi-media art installation that involves Collin's painting and Molzberger's sculpting. The installation includes a two-sided, suspended canvas that extends from the ceiling of the arts center to the floor just above the lower sculpture. Collins said the sculptures above and below the canvas represent the fall of the Third Reich in Nazi Germany.
This symbolism of the fall is evident in the bottom sculpture of broken, disheveled rails at the bottom reminiscent of the trains that once carried Jewish victims to concentration camps. A special lighting setup was implemented to enhance the atmosphere. A slideshow was also included in the installation featuring an array of paintings and photography from both artists.
Senior Matthew Crawford was present at the installation's debut.
"I thought it was fascinating for the piece to tie into the lecture that Madeleine Albright presented and evoke a feeling of hope rather than one of despair when thinking of this tragic point in the world's history."
Collins first met with Molzberger, who grew up in Germany post-World War II, at a showing of his in the Redbud Gallery in 2003. In 2007, Collins traveled to Germany to visit Molzberger. Several trips to concentration camp memorials, and specifically one in Auschwitz, inspired the duo to collaborate on an art piece that culminated in the "Walking On Ashes," memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.
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