Forbidden Art Exhibit, March 20 – April 6, 2017
The City of Wixom is proud to announce that they will host the traveling exhibition entitled Forbidden Art, a collection of images of artwork created by concentration camp prisoners while imprisoned by the Nazis during World War II. The exhibition originated at Poland’s Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (A-B Museum) and is made up of twenty large color photos of drawings and sculptures made by inmates of the Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Ravensbrüeck concentration camps. Each of the photographs is accompanied by a historical commentary and a narrative account as to why the piece was created. The original objects are permanently housed at the A-B Museum and are far too delicate for public display.
The mere act of producing these works was highly dangerous: Creating art was illegal in the Nazi concentration camps. “The uniqueness of all people was precisely the thing that the former camp administration sought to destroy,” states JJ Przewozniak, Curator of Collections for The Polish Mission of the Orchard Lake Schools. “The inmates were acknowledged by a number, not a name: their clothes were exchanged for uniforms; their hair was removed. Every aspect of life in the camp sought to remove one’s own identity. This artwork defies all of that. It’s truly a testament to the human spirit.”
Forbidden Art will be installed at the Wixom Public Library from March 20 through April 6, 2017. The exhibit is made possible by the Wixom Downtown Development Authority, the Wixom Community Foundation, and local sponsors. The exhibit was developed and is presented in North America by The Polish Mission of the Orchard Lake Schools in exclusive partnership with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. It has been displayed at prominent institutions such as the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, West Point, the Hoover Museum, and UCLA. The City of Wixom exhibit is funded in part through a grant provided by the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs and the Anton Art Center.
Forbidden Art Reception
When: Sunday, March 19
Time: 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Where: Community Center
Cost: $20 through April 30
$25 March 1 and after
Please join us for an opening reception to welcome this extraordinary exhibit. This evening’s almost-black-tie reception is sponsored by the Wixom Downtown Development Authority, the Wixom Community Foundation, and local Wixom businesses. We will be honored by the presence of a speaker from Poland’s famed Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum who will provide intimate details of this moving artwork. The reception includes refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, music, and exhibit viewing. To purchase tickets, please see the City website’s Activities & Events Registration Page or call 248-624-2850.
