Forbidden Art shares works created by concentration camp prisoners
The exhibit includes 20 exhibits and 40 photographs accompanied by historical commentary and excerpts from archival accounts. Shown on the right is a figure of a prisoner carved by an unknown artist in Auschwitz.
LIVONIA, Mich. – Collected from Auschwitz and other concentration camps, the sketches, carvings and other pieces of artwork represented in Forbidden Art are also pieces of history.
The powerful and poignant exhibition will be on display in Madonna University’s Franciscan Center from Jan. 11 through Feb. 9. The collection includes photographs of 20 pieces of art, as well as accompanying historical commentary for each.
“The Nazis did all they could to make their captives faceless; in a sense, the numbers tattooed on their arms became their new identities,” said Deepinder Singh Uppal, assistant professor in the Religious Studies Department, and co-director of the Center for Catholic Studies and Interfaith Dialogue at Madonna University. “In the midst of profound loss, Forbidden Art became a means for prisoners to express their defiance and preserve something the Nazis could never take: their dignity.
“If we can learn only one thing from Forbidden Art, perhaps it should be what happens when the exclusion of religious and ethnic identities is left to grow unchecked.”
Among the art are candid sketches of prisoners, abstract representations of emotion, and even miniature carvings. Many artists are represented in the exhibition, although some were never identified.
Sr. Nancy Marie Jamroz, co-director of the Center for Catholic Studies and Interfaith Dialogue at Madonna, said the mission of Madonna University is to instill in its students Christian humanistic values, intellectual inquiry, and a respect for diversity.
“This mission receives its spirit from Franciscan Values, two of which are respect for the dignity of each person and education for truth and service,” she said. “With this in mind, the suggestion, from Marcin Chumiecki, director of the Polish Mission of the Orchard Lake Schools, that Madonna University host the Forbidden Art exhibit was eagerly welcomed.
“Realizing that these are actual works of people who lived in horror and unimaginable degradation and who still found a way to use their creative gifts as self-expression, or to document their unbelievable existence, makes a lasting impression as I view the work and read the commentaries,” Jamroz continued. “I get absorbed into the appalling reality of one of the darkest moments of human history. It is a reminder of why we must educate, with our mission and values as a foundation.”
The display is hosted by the Madonna University Center for Catholic Studies and Interfaith Dialogue, and presented in North America by The Polish Mission of the Orchard Lake Schools in exclusive partnership with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum. After premiering at the Galeria of The Polish Mission of the Orchard Lake Schools in 2012, project manager JJ Przewozniak, with the support of the Polish Mission team, has coordinated showings at premier locations across the United States, including Park East Synagogue, UCLA, the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, and the United Nations.
Additional information and updates are available at forbidden art on display at madonna university.
Concurrent to the Forbidden Art exhibition will be a display of paintings and sketches by Jan Komski, a Polish prisoner who survived Auschwitz, and photography of Auschwitz today by Marcin Chumiecki, director of The Polish Mission. These pieces will be available for viewing in Madonna’s Gallery, outside the library, on the second floor of the main academic building.
Komski was born in the small Polish town of Bircza and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow when the city was occupied by German forces. He was arrested in 1940 and sent to Auschwitz, eventually managed to escape, and was re-arrested and sent to Dachau before being liberated in 1945 by U.S. troops. His work is a mix of pen and ink, and watercolor.
In coordination with the Forbidden Art exhibit, several events at Madonna University are planned:
A discussion on Ideas of Justice with associate professor of history Paul Radzilowski and Deepinder Singh Uppal, scheduled for Jan. 26.
A semester-long colloquium including professors in criminal justice, philosophy, sociology and more, scheduled for 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 4, Feb. 25, March 24 and April 7.
Students will share their reflections on the exhibit and the Holocaust through a writing event hosted by the Madonna Writing Center
A collection of books related to the Holocaust will be on display in the library
About Madonna University: Liberal arts education, career preparation and service-learning have been the hallmarks of Madonna University since 1937. Conveniently located at I-96 and Levan Road in Livonia, Madonna offers more than 100 undergraduate and 30 graduate programs in the colleges of arts and humanities, science and mathematics, social sciences, education, and nursing and health, as well as the School of Business and the Graduate School. Michigan’s most affordable, independent, Catholic university, Madonna welcomes students from diverse backgrounds. Learn more at www.madonna.edu.
About the Polish Mission: The purpose of The Polish Mission of the Orchard Lake Schools, which were founded in 1885 by Polish immigrants, is to preserve and promote Polish and Polish-American culture, tradition, and history for present and future generations. The Polish Mission organizes programs, courses and events that highlight Polish and Polish-American culture and accomplishments, and ensures a repository for artifacts, archival materials, works of art, and publications. For more information, please visit polishmission.com
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