Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Art & Culture: Art against Genocide

Boo Friedmann has a stage play entitled "Whisperings." Here is a brief summary of the play:

Whisperings: The Reclamation depicts the last conversation between a woman and G-d before she is murdered in a Nazi gas chamber. Soldiers from every genocide since the Holocaust aid in disposing of the woman’s body, before she and other victims from across the globe rise to dance in reclamation.

Taken from Hermitlore.

The notion of using the arts, be it the visual, theatrical, or musical to discuss/combat/teach about genocide is a very interesting and worthwhile project. The arts (IMO) are a very powerful and emotional form of communication, which is probably why in fascist societies, the arts is the first segment of society to be banned/face censure. It also explains why in fascist societies, artists are often the first victims of government oppression, because they are often viewed as being too "independent." The power of the arts in undeniable. That is why projects like this one are so important. I hope that this play brings "home" the horror of genocide to the audiences and moves them to take action.

Beyond just serving as a form of communication, the arts can also be very therapeutic as well. There are many articles/studies out there about traumatized people using art or music as an outlet for their pain, hurt and anger.

That is why I'm always interested in any art project: music, photography, visual arts, multimedia, theater, film, etc that relates to Bosnia or to any other genocide.
If you have any information on plays, art work on Bosnia etc-please drop me a comment, and I will be sure to write a post about it when I get the chance.

thanks.

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