We’ve all heard of WWII — the time period characterized by its rampant deaths, questionable politics and overall hopelessness. Nothing is quite like seeing it face-on, though. ‘Seeing Auschwitz’ is a collection of over 100 photographs, sketches and testimonies displaying the horrific happenings of the largest concentration and extermination camp. Today, that camp is one of the most important symbols of the Holocaust.
The photographic array acts as a unique opportunity to learn about the time period, witnessing victims and perpetrators who, beyond names in history books, have truly existed. You’ll get to experience this “visual journey through the crimes the Nazi regime tried to hide,” keeping in mind most of the images were taken by the perpetrator themselves. It’s an unparalleled chance to analyze what evil truly means, and whose lens can be trusted to portray the truth.
‘Seeing Auschwitz’ is a powerful journey taking place at Charlotte’s Visual and Performing Arts Center through April 14. Get tickets while you can.
Before the end of the war, Nazi Germany tried to hide the fate of some 1.1 million men, women and children who were brutally murdered at Auschwitz, mainly Jews, but also Poles, Roma and Sinti and Soviet prisoners of war. Despite trying to destroy evidence, killings caught the attention of the world and the operation was exposed for what it truly was: an inhumane racial crime.
The curated photographs of ‘Seeing Auschwitz’ give us an inside look at the arrival of deportees, portraits of innocent children, but also the day-to-day life of SS garrison members. The exhibit encourages us to look beyond the four edges of the photograph to really confront the reality of what we’re seeing on frame: two people smiling for the camera could in reality be the culprits of heinous crimes. Through the entire exhibit, you’ll be analyzing every detail to confront what it means to be a perpetrator, victim and onlooker.
After touring in NYC, Paris, Madrid, and very recently — London — the exhibition is now in Charlotte. Attendees 12 and up are welcome at the Visual and Performing Arts Center to explore an exhibition many have called moving and insightful.