New York's Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is highlighting the work of world-renowned photographer Martin Schoeller in an exhibit that is set to run throughout the winter. The exhibition, entitled “Survivors: Faces of Life after the Holocaust,” includes 75 photographs taken in Schoeller’s style – using intense lighting and extreme close-up.
The exhibition was the joint effort of Schoeller and Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center; the 75 photographs mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Alongside the portraits is a short film, documenting the process of compiling them as well as biographies of and quotes from the subjects.
Born in Germany in 1968, Schoeller is one of the world's foremost contemporary photographers. “Schoeller’s close-up portraits emphasize, in equal measure, facial features, of his subjects — world leaders and indigenous groups, movie stars and the homeless, athletes and artists — leveling them in an inherently democratic fashion,” his website explains.
Statements from the artist and subjects' families
The portraits are on display in a section of the Museum of Jewish Heritage recently dedicated to the memory of Rita Lowenstein, who survived the Holocaust as a hidden child, under a false identity.
“I hope that the series resonates with the survivor community here and inspires New Yorkers of all backgrounds to envision a more tolerant and peaceful future.”
Martin Schoeller
“It is fitting that the first exhibition on display in the Rita Lowenstein Gallery is a tribute to the humanity and resilience of Holocaust survivors,” said Wendy Lowenstein Sandler, Rita’s daughter. “My mother left a legacy of resilience and also a commitment to Holocaust education. She believed strongly in having hope for the future and sharing survivors’ stories with the next generation, so we never forget.”
“This project is very close to my heart, born out of my experience growing up in Germany, and I'm so proud to bring it to New York and the Museum of Jewish Heritage,” Schoeller said. “I hope that the series resonates with the survivor community here and inspires New Yorkers of all backgrounds to envision a more tolerant and peaceful future.”
“The images captured by Martin Schoeller peer into the eyes and souls of these 75 Holocaust survivors. Several of these powerful portraits hang in my office on the Mount of Remembrance,” said Yad Vashem chairman Dani Dayan.
“For decades these survivors have guided Holocaust remembrance, research and education. Now, nearly 78 years later, they not only continue to inspire me and all of humanity to remember, they also encourage us to act and stand up to injustice and hatred wherever it may be found.”