Walking on the ‘Fallen Leaves’ at the Jewish Museum Berlin
Just before Naomi uploads the “blog reflection” of this week’s session, let me squeeze here a video clip I shot with my mobile phone at the Jewish Museum Berlin, walking on the ‘Fallen Leaves’ in the Memory Void (and yes, I know I am not Steven Spielberg!).
The text panel says:
“Menashe Kadishman’s installation “Shalechet” is first a memorial to the Holocaust. But he reaches beyond this and dedicates it to all innocent victims of violence and war. He requests that visitors walk upon the work. The title “Fallen Leaves” raises suggestions both of negative predestination and of hope for new life in the coming spring”
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Kostas, did you enjoy the Jewish Museum? I found it such a frustrating museum space – it works well as a memorial, but I felt so much more could have been done in terms of collected conversations and personal stories, especially considering the geographical location of the museum.
Jen, I found it as well a very difficult space to navigate. My visit focused on the use of new media in the museum, which I found quite rich in oral testimonies (I will be writing a post about the Jewish Museum and its new media applications). Especially the ‘Rafael Roth Learning Center’ has a large archive of personal stories. But, I share your point that this could have perhaps been done more evidently in some parts of the museum. Do you have any specific part of the museum in mind?
Libeskind’s extention in particular was a challenge. I was expecting the museum to be really emotive but was disappointed. I suppose that’s what happens when an architect ends up dominating museum design!
Yes, the spatial disorientation is much more dominating than any emotive engagement…there is of course the opinion that this disorientation is part of the engagement, but it didn’t work for me. I was though really engaged by the content of the new media applications.
Also, I didn’t feel that there was a harmonic ‘conversation’ between architectural space and exhibition space. The architecture is indeed dominating and museologically unhelpful .