Inspired by Primo Levi’s “Se questo è un uomo”, Andrew M Mezvinsky depicts a world of hope, desires and thoughts.
“By incorporated various media – animation, drawing, projections and sound – Mezvinsky creates a multi-faceted exhibition, a phantasmagoric panorama that is at once an homage to and a satire of the past events and traditions.” Vesela Sretenović
The installation will be shown from the 6th of November 2013 until the 2nd of March 2014 at the Jüdisches Museum am Judenplatz in Vienna.
Take a look at the Austrian TV Channel W24’s TV report on the exhibition.
Please find the English transcript below on our page.
Andrew M Mezvinsky, “A Good Day”, 2013
Andrew M Mezvinsky, Detail of “A Good Day” Installation, Graphite on Paper and Chalk on Denim, 2013; courtesy of the artist
Andrew M Mezvinsky, Detail of “A Good Day” Installation, 2013; courtesy of the artist
Photos: © PID/W. Schaub-Walzer
English transcript of the channel W24’s TV report about the exhibition
The Jewish Museum Vienna presents a new exhibition at its location on Judenplatz.
„A Good Day“, is an installation of American Artist Andrew Mezvinsky, who lives in Vienna.Danielle Spera, Director of the Jewish Museum Vienna: „He is very much influenced by the Italian Old Masters, by landscape paintings, which he sketches, cuts out and they become wonderful, delicate artworks.“
In three rooms the visitors experience a multilayered and interactive installation.Danielle Spera: „We are showing a Multimedia Installation using the latest in computer technology – an interactive animation. In the second room, we show a number of Andrew Mezvinsky’s drawings, and computer animations are layered above them.
And in the third room, we show a very interesting work, which refers to the name Levi and Andrew Mezvinsky did these artworks on denim, on jeans fabric, of course, with the hint to Levi Strauss and his Levis.“
Andrew M Mezvisnky, Artist: „It is really important for me that when a person, when people, who see my work, can interact with it. I don’t want it to be a sterile environment, like a doctor’s office.“
„A Good Day“ refers to a chapter with the same title in the autobiographic narration „Survival in Auschwitz“ by Auschwitz survivor Primo Levi.Danielle Spera: „Primo Levi writes that a „Good Day“ in Auschwitz was the day, on which the first sun rays appeared after winter and spring gave hope of survival.“
But how can there be a „Good Day“ in a place like Auschwitz?Andrew M Mezvinsky: „So on this day, he could feel like a human again, not like a prisoner. It has hope and inspiration at the same time.“
Danielle Spera: „This book, „Survival in Auschwitz“ from Primo Levi is a book, that everyone should read, because of course we think quite often „today is not such a great day“ and if we read only this chapter, you can get an idea of how the people were doing, and which hopes they had when they felt the first warming rays on their skin!“
The Museum at Judenplatz is a special location for the Jewish Museum, a venture of Wien Holding . There are many different elements, which merge with one another.
Danielle Spera: „There is the Shoa Memorial of Rachel Whiteread, but also and this is very, very important, in this place there is also a Jewish Present, there is an active synagogue, the Synagogue of Misrachi and above this synagogue, there is also a Jewish children and youth club. Which means, that at this place, everything is presented in little: the Jewish Past, the Jewish Present and the Jewish Future.“
TV Report: Georg Widerin, Camera/Editor: Max Berner, Graphic Design: Günther Bauer, Production: W24Transcript and Translation: Impart contemporary
