Polska - Izrael - Niemcy

Artists from Poland, Israel and Germany differ in their approach to the Holocaust. The works of Polish artists frequently relate to the actual site of the atrocities; the artists employ deep-rooted perceptions of Auschwitz, showing how they are adopted by consumerist culture, with the consequent commercialisation of the theme. The works are often thought-provoking, venturing beyond the accustomed format for representing the Holocaust. Israeli artists are chiefly preoccupied with the question: what does it mean to be a child, grandchild or great-grandchild of a Holocaust victim? They show the extent to which imprisonment at Auschwitz has irrevocably marked the consciousness and functioning of the survivors? families. Installations and objects constructed from personal items evoke those who did not survive. The interest of German artists is focused on the perpetrators, Hitler and the Nazis. The concentration camp itself appears only rarely, usually as a backdrop in order to document guilt or highlight reflections on the artists? own sense of burdened identity. It is apparent, however, that, in spite the differences in focus of the approaches favoured by the artists, they are all acutely aware of their shared duty to not allow the memory of the tragic events fade away.0.