GERHARD RICHTER: BIRKENAU
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18485/f_zsmu.2025.21.5Keywords:
Gerhard Richter, Holocaust, iconic and mnemonic representation, abstraction, digital duplicateAbstract
This paper addressed the possibility of iconic and mnemonic representations of the Holocaust, as well as the philosophical, cinematic, and artistic responses to this issue. It analyzed the works of Gerhard Richter, a contemporary German artist who has, over several decades, sought to depict the suffering of Jews and confront the inherited guilt and traumas of World War II. The discussion considered the reasons behind his withdrawal from and erasure of attempts at iconic and mnemonic representation of this suffering, as well as his turn toward abstraction, culminating in the series Birkenau, which was painted based on four photographs taken by members of the Sonderkommando. Additionally, the paper will explore the creation of digital duplicates of images and the questions and challenges arising from such artistic practices, alongside Richter’s evolving concepts for the exhibition of the Birkenau series.
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