Photographer traverses Europe, revisiting a chilling trail of mass extermination.
In a poignant and powerful photographic project, British artist Marc Wilson delves into the heart of Holocaust history, aiming to remember individuals affected by this dark chapter in human history, rather than large groups of people. Titled "A Wounded Landscape: Bearing Witness to the Holocaust," the project offers a personal and intimate look at the experiences of 22 survivors and second-generation descendants of the Holocaust.
Wilson's motivation for the project stems from a deep personal connection to the Holocaust and a desire to talk about its history without ignoring, forgetting, or denying it. He seeks to bear witness to the atrocities that occurred, focusing on the individual stories that make up the vast and tragic geography of Holocaust history throughout Europe.
The project encompasses over 40,000 sites associated with the Holocaust, including major concentration camps like Auschwitz, the Łódź Ghetto, and thousands of smaller camps and sites scattered across Europe. Auschwitz, in Poland, was the largest and most infamous Nazi camp complex, covering 40 square kilometers with 3 main camps and about 39 smaller work camps, where approximately 1.1 to 1.5 million people (mostly Jews) were murdered.
Beyond these, the project includes stories of less widely-known atrocities, such as the internment of 'undesirables' at Gurs, France, where 4,000 were deported to Auschwitz. The project also documents sites where literal life or death decisions were made, such as the former children's barracks in the ruins of Rivesaltes internment camp in South East France, where over a hundred Jewish children were deported to Auschwitz and killed.
Wilson's project incorporates photographs of wildflowers surrounding the barracks at Rivesaltes, a poignant reminder of the children who once lived there. The artist captures images of sites that have been left untouched, with no marker or sign of the events that occurred there, as a symbol of the silence and forgetting that often surrounds the Holocaust.
The project also sheds light on the ongoing effects of trauma, such as the story of Hettie Posner's father Avram Samson, who died 40 years after liberation due to stress. It includes stories of survivors who lived through the Holocaust, such as Kopel Kendall, who survived four concentration camps as a teenager and later was one of the 732 children relocated to Windermere, in the English Lake District, after the war.
Due to the long-term nature of the project and mostly very elderly subjects, some of those interviewed for "A Wounded Landscape" did not live to see the project complete, with this situation being accelerated by COVID-19. The project serves as a testament to the resilience and strength of those who survived the Holocaust, and a reminder of the importance of remembering and honouring their stories.
Wilson's project also highlights the varying ways countries have responded to the Holocaust and other genocides, with some sites memorialized and others left untouched. It includes photographs of sites that have been repurposed, such as a modern shopping center in Poland that was built on the site of a former concentration camp.
In a world where the memory of the Holocaust can sometimes feel distant, Wilson's project serves as a powerful and moving reminder of the individuals who were affected by this devastating event. It is a call to remember, to bear witness, and to never forget.
- The artist, Marc Wilson, captured images of wildflowers surrounding the barracks at Rivesaltes, symbolizing the untold stories in nature that stem from the tragic history of war-and-conflicts like the Holocaust.
- In addition to major concentration camps like Auschwitz, the project documents lesser-known atrocities, such as the internment of 'undesirables' at Gurs, France, and the children's barracks in the ruins of Rivesaltes internment camp, shedding light on general-news events often forgotten or overlooked.
- The project serves as a testimony to the indomitable spirit of individuals who survived the Holocaust, and exemplifies the significance of political discourse that perceives the value of education in honoring historical accounts and striving to prevent future repetitions of the same tragic events.
