Berlin's Holocaust Memorial - more formally known as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe - is about as stark and bleak as you might imagine, given the subject matter. I'm not sure I understand the symbolism, but as a piece of installation art it's utterly absorbing: you can walk deep into the maze of grey concrete blocks, the ground gradually sloping away until you find the walls towering above your head. This clever design also means that, however busy the passageways, looking from outside the centre will always appear empty and desolate.
6 comments:
It does look pretty desolate. Generally, one hopes that this sort of installation makes its point without information boards. I think it does.
It feels ominous.
I suspect those feelings are pretty much the point. One is supposed to feel desolate, isolated etc much as the holocaust's victims would have felt.
grey, drab, forlorn, isolated, sombre, joyless, bleak, isolation, concealment, barren all spring to mind, those poor victims must have experienced similar feelings:(
Mike - I hope you used the fridge to allow your bread dough to rise:)
Thank you for posting this. I haven't seen pictures yet but would love to visit the next time I'm in Germany. Because I have Jewish/German ancestors, this will go on my "must see" list. XOXO
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