Forest
A forest is a homeland – unspoiled by the hand of man, it provides shelter and a sense of security. It is also a fortress, where nature itself builds inaccessible fortifications. But a forest is also a place marked by the tragedy of history – an area of crime and mass extermination. This is the image of a forest painted by the temporary exhibition at the Museum of the Second World War entitled “Forest – Shelter of Victims. Hideout of Crime”.
“The forest is an exhibition essay that interdisciplinarily combines history with art and ecology. The forest is a primeval home, a natural habitat, supporting human vitality, and through war – tainted by crime. During the military conflict, it helped save some lives, but it also holds the secret of the victims’ deaths” – Agnieszka Bacławska-Kornacka and Monika Krzencessa.
This essay is written with historical artifacts and works of art, including: Wilhelm Sasnal’s painting Shoah/Las, Mirosław Bałka’s video installation Winterreise: The Pond and Bambi, Magdalena Abakanowicz’s sculpture Androgyne on a trapeze, and 5 installations (Abakans): Red -Brown, 1969, Otwarty, 1967, Black Garment 8, 1977, Czarna, 1979, Tuba, 1976, as well as Łukasz Surowiec’s Zielnik and Berlin-Birkenau projects.
Honorable Mention 6. Visible Museum Review 2024 👁️🗨️ Category Temporary Exhibition Identification
Honorable Mention 3rd Museum Book of the Year 2024 Competition – catalogue „Forest. Shelter of victims, hideout of crime” / Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk
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design: Dorota Terlecka, Anna Sabała-Bykowska. Biuro Kreacja
curators: Agnieszka Bacławska-Kornacka, Monika Krzencessa
Graphic design: re:design
Photo: Alka Murat
Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk
