8. FESTIVAL TOLERANCIJE - JFF ZAGREB 8th FESTIVAL OF TOLERANCE - JFF ZAGREB
Adolf Frankl
Umjetnost protiv zaborava Art against Oblivion
ORGANIZATOR IZLOŽBE / EXHIBITION ORGANIZER
8. FESTIVAL TOLERANCIJE - JFF ZAGREB 8th FESTIVAL OF TOLERANCE - JFF ZAGREB
Adolf Frankl
Umjetnost protiv zaborava Art against Oblivion 5. 5. 2014. 25. 5. 2014.
GALERIJA KLOVIĆEVI DVORI JEZUITSKI TRG 4 ZAGREB
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Tornado ulje na platnu 140,5 × 90,5 cm, oko 1965. Erupcija zla i životinjske nehumanosti portretirani su brojnim figurama.
The tornado oil on canvas 140,5 × 90,5 cm, about 1965 The eruption of evil and the animalistic inhumanity are portrayed in the numerous figures.
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Strahote holokausta često nazivamo neizrecivima i neprikazivima, svjesni činjenice da je užase teško i povijesno i umjetnički opisati. Organizatorima Festivala tolerancije jasno je, međutim, da treba inzistirati, da treba i dalje pokušavati izricati neizrecivo i govoriti o holokaustu. Razumiju da nikada ne treba odustajati od upozoravanja na iskustva iz prošlosti, u cilju stvaranja korpusa svjedočanstava i prikaza koji će ostati sljedećim generacijama. Na Festivalu tolerancije aktivno se pristupa bolnim temama, educira o holokaustu i inicira dijalog o predrasudama i kršenjima ljudskih prava. Ministarstvo kulture sa zadovoljstvom je podržalo ovu inicijativu. Ni slikar Adolf Frankl nikada nije prestao prikazivati svoja iskustva iz koncentracijskog logora. Svojim snažnim koloritom, crtežima te iskrivljenim pa i grotesknim formama, scenama užasa uhvaćenim u trenutku, cijelog je života stvarao umjetnost koja se bori protiv zaborava i pruža otpor barbarstvu i kao takva, pravi je sadržaj za Festival tolerancije. Važno je ne zaboraviti prošlost, ali i baviti se sadašnjošću: educirati čovjeka današnjice i pokazati, naročito mladima, kako mogu preuzeti odgovornost i što mogu učiniti kako bismo živjeli u društvu bez mržnje i diskriminacije. Tomu, uz filmski program i izložbe, pridonose Edukacijska jutra u organizaciji udruge Festival suvremenog židovskog filma Zagreb. Program je to kroz koji je do sada prošlo gotovo 10.000 učenika iz 280 hrvatskih škola, a raste i regionalni interes za program u kojem učenici, ali i studenti i šira javnost, slušaju predavanja o holokaustu i gledaju filmove koji potiču na razgovor i razmišljanje te time uče o promicanju tolerancije i suživota u suvremenom društvu. Organizatorima i napose predsjedniku Festivala Branku Lustigu, filmskom umjetniku svjetske reputacije koji je vlastita iskustva odlučio pretočiti u borbu za širenje tolerancije, čestitam na još jednom uspješno osmišljenom programu Festivala tolerancije.
Andrea Zlatar-Violić
ministrica kulture Republike Hrvatske
The horrors of the Holocaust are often called unspeakable and unpresentable, and we are aware of the fact that those horrors are difficult to describe historically and artistically. It is perfectly clear to the organisers of the Festival of Tolerance, however, that we should insist on continuing to try to express the inexpressible and talk about the Holocaust. They understand that we should never give up warning about past experiences, in order to create a collection of testimonials and images that will remain to testify for future generations. The Festival of Tolerance actively addresses painful issues, educates about the Holocaust and initiates prejudices and human rights violations dialogue. The Ministry of Culture is pleased to support this initiative. Adolf Frankl also never stopped portraying his experiences from the concentration camp. With his strong colours, drawings, distorted and grotesque forms, scenes of horror caught in the moment, he created art his entire life, fighting against oblivion and providing resistance to barbarism, and as such, it represents the Festival of Tolerance and its values. It is important not to forget the past, but also we have to deal with the present: to educate present-day man, and show, especially to the young people, how they can take responsibility and what they can do in order to live in a society free of hatred and discrimination. In addition to the film program and exhibition, Educational mornings organized by the Jewish Film Festival Zagreb contribute to that kind of responsibility. So far almost 10.000 students from 280 Croatian schools have participated in this program, regional interest in lectures about Holocaust is growing, and students, as well as the general public, listen to lectures about the Holocaust and watch movies that encourage discussion and reflection, thus learning about the promotion of tolerance and co-existence in contemporary society. I would like to congratulate the organizers and especially the president of the festival Branko Lustig, a film artist of international renown who has decided to transform his own experiences into the struggle for spreading tolerance, on yet another successfully thought out program for the Festival of Tolerance.
Andrea Zlatar-Violić
Minister of Culture of Republic of Croatia
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Dolazak u Birkenau u studenom Arrival in Birkenau in November
DjeÄ?ja jedinica, Birkenau, 1944. Children unit, Birkenau, 1944
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Moj tuberkulozni susjed urinira My TB infected neighbour urinates
Primaljstvo u Birkenau Obstetrics in Birkenau
Autoportret
ulje na platnu 41 × 33,5 cm, oko 1957. Self-portrait
oil on canvas 41 × 33,5 cm, about 1957
Posljednji vrisak – Kraj
ulje na platnu 60,5 × 50,5 cm, oko 1956. Mnogi su htjeli vrištati kako bi izrazili svoju patnju. Ali mnogi nisu našli hrabrosti vrištati, jer tko bi vrištao dobio bi batine.
The Final Scream – The End
oil on canvas 60,5 × 50,5 cm, about 1956 Many of us wanted to scream to express suffering. But many did not find the courage to do it actively. If it happened spontaneously, beatings followed.
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Adolf Frankl
Adolf Frankl
Zašto „Umjetnost protiv zaborava”?
Why “Art against Oblivion”?
Festival tolerancije – JFF Zagreb u suradnji s Klovićevim dvorima 5. svibnja 2014. s ponosom predstavlja izložbu jednog od najvažnijih umjetnika koji se bave temom holokausta – Adolfa Frankla. Izložba će se moći razgledati od 5. do 25. svibnja u Galeriji Klovićevi dvori u Zagrebu. Pod pokroviteljstvom Ministarstva kulture Republike Hrvatske i Grada Zagreba, uz svesrdnu pomoć vlasnika kolekcije g. Thomasa Frankla i ARTFORUM galerije iz Beča, te Austrijskog kulturnog foruma iz Zagreba, izložba Adolfa Frankla „Umjetnost protiv zaborava“ popratni je dio programa Festivala Tolerancije i predstavlja svojevrstan uvod u Festival koji će se održati od 18. do 24. svibnja u zagrebačkim kinima Europa i Tuškanac.
Festival of Tolerance – JFF Zagreb in cooperation with Klovićevi dvori on May 5th, 2014, proudly presents an exhibition of one of the most important artists depicting atrocities Holocaust – Adolf Frankl. The exhibition will displayed from May 5th to 25th at the Klovićevi dvori Gallery in Zagreb. Under the auspices of Croatian Ministry of Culture and the City of Zagreb, with devoted help from the collection owner Mr. Thomas Frankl, his ARTFORUM Gallery from Vienna, and the Austrian Cultural Forum in Zagreb, Adolf Frankl’s exhibition "Art against Oblivion" is a supplementary program of the Festival of Tolerance which presents an introduction to the Festival which will be held from May 18th to 24th in Zagreb in cinemas Europa and Tuškanac.
Festival Tolerancije, kao što je poznato, javna je platforma na kojoj se iz godine u godinu sve glasnije i sa sve većim odzivom publike stalno podsjeća na strahote holokausta: da se ne zaboravi i da se ne ponovi! Kroz ponuđene programe radimo na sprječavanju diskriminacije, rasizma, homofobije, ksenofobije i općenito borimo se protiv kršenja prava manjinskih skupina, težeći k razvijenom društvu u kojem većina ne doživljava manjinu kao prijetnju vlastitom identitetu. Uvjereni smo da je moguće boriti se protiv govora mržnje i predrasuda neprestanom edukacijom, radeći istovremeno i na tome da svaki incident javno i pravodobno osudi kako javnost tako i nadležne ustanove. Upravo zbog toga držimo da je izložba radova slovačkog slikara i čovjeka koji je preživio holokaust Adolfa Frankla pod nazivom „Umjetnost protiv zaborava“, praćena filmom o životu i stvaranju ovog umjetnika, više nego potrebna i dobrodošla u Zagrebu, prijestolnici Republike Hrvatske. Ne zaboravimo, za nekoliko sljedećih godina bit će još samo nekoliko svjedoka koji će moći ispričati osobne priče i sjećanja o tome što se događalo tijekom holokausta. Kada i posljednjeg preživjelog nestane, u naslijeđe će ostati jedino sjećanje da budući naraštaji ne zaborave. Izložba Adolfa Frankla „Umjetnost protiv zaborava“, kao ostavština same žrtve holokausta, istodobno vraća dostojanstvo svima onima koji su ubijeni, ali i postaje baština koje će generacijama svjedočiti istinu o strahotama najsramnijeg poglavlja ljudske povijesti. Samo edukacijom možemo na svim razinama podučiti o ljudskoj odgovornosti u civiliziranom društvu, da se glasno usprotivi, spriječi i zaustavi mržnja i nepoštivanje različitosti te da se konačno oslobodimo predrasuda.
Festival of Tolerance is public platform which every year gets more and more visitors and which ever so clearly reminds us of the terrors of the Holocaust: it must not be forgotten and it must not be repeated! Through our programs, we are working on prevention of discrimination, racism, homophobia, xenophobia and violation of the rights of minority groups in general, striving for a developed society in which majority does not perceive minority as a threat to its own identity. We are certain that it is possible to fight against the speech of hatred and prejudices, working on clear and timely condemnation of all such incidents by the public and authorized institutions. That is why we believe that the exhibition of works of Slovak artist and a man who survived the Holocaust Adolf Frankl titled "Art against Oblivion", accompanied by a film about the life and the creation of the artist, is more than needed and welcome in Zagreb, the Croatian capital. Do not forget, in the next few years there will be very few witnesses who will be able to share personal stories and memories of what happened during the Holocaust. When the last survivor is gone, the legacy will remain only in memories that future generations should not forget. Exhibition of Adolf Frankl "Art against Oblivion", the legacy of Holocaust victim, returns dignity to those who were killed, but also becomes the inheritance of generations who witness the truth about the horrors of the most disgraceful chapter in human history. Only using education we can teach on all levels about responsibility in civil society, to speak up, to prevent and stop the hatred, disrespect for diversity and to finally break free of prejudice.
Nataša Popović
direktorica Festivala Tolerancije – JFF Zagreb
Nataša Popović
Director of the Festival of Tolerance – JFF Zagreb
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Prometna gužva na berlinskom čvorištu – 5 minuta do 12 akvarel 120 × 85 cm, oko 1945. Nakon oslobođenja 1945., na putu prema Bratislavi, kratko vrijeme sam proveo u Uzhorodu u Ukrajini. Tamo sam po narudžbi oficira Crvene armije nacrtao plakat po modelu. Prikazuje Hitlera u ruševinama Berlina. Malo prije poraza pokušao je sakupiti svoje Mirmidonce – Himmlera, Göringa i Goebbelsa – svoje žive, ranjene i mrtve vojnike.
Traffic jam at the Berliner junction – 5 minutes to twelve watercolor 120 × 85 cm, about 1945 After the liberation in 1945, as I was on the way back to my home town Bratislava, I stopped for a short time in Uzhorod in the Ukraine. In this city, an officer of the Red Army commissioned me to paint this placard from a model. It shows Hitler in the ruins of Berlin. Shortly before his demise, he tried to stockpile his myrmidons – Himmler, Göring and Goebbels – and the living, injured, and dead soldiers.
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Diktator akvarel 22,5 Ă— 21 cm, oko 1965.
The Dictator watercolor 22,5 Ă— 21 cm, about 1965
Varijacije Hitlera na putu prema propasti.
Variations of Hitler on the road to ruin.
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Užas ulje na drvu 152 × 152 cm, oko 1959.
The Horror oil on wood 152 × 152 cm, about 1959
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Adolf Frankl
Adolf Frankl
Umjetnost kao podsjetnik i opomena
Art as a reminder and warning
Na pitanje tko je bio Adolf Frankl odgovori mogu biti različiti: slikar, ilustrator, karikaturist, dizajner interijera, nečiji sin, muž, a onda i otac. Broj: B14395. Preživjeli. Čovjek. Umjetnik. Ipak, odrednice, koliko god ogoljene same za sebe mogu pripovijedati nekoliko zanimljivih zasebnih priča, ne donose i cjelovitu sliku koja bi prenijela tko je on zapravo bio. I doista, Adolf Frankl (Bratislava, 1903. – Beč, 1983.), mogao je biti samo nešto od svega nabrojenog, ali je svojim rođenjem kao Židov, u godinama sumraka civilizacije, postao i jedna od žrtava strahota logora Auschwitz-Birkenau. S jednom važnom razlikom – Adolf Frankl, žrtva Holokausta, iznad svega svojim određenjem, bio je istinski umjetnik. I kao takav, svojim umjetničkim trudbeništvom je preživio.
There are many different answers to the question who Adolf Frankl was: a painter, an illustrator, a caricaturist, an interior designer, someone's son, husband and father. A number: B14395. A survivor. A man. An artist. All those denotations can tell many interesting stories about Adolf Frankl but they do not fully reflect the image of his personality. It is true that Adolf Frankl (Bratislava, 1903 – Vienna, 1983) might have been only one of all the above but the fact that he was born Jewish in one of the darkest periods of human civilization also made him one of the victims of all the atrocities of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. However, there was one very important difference – Adolf Frankl, a victim of the Holocaust, primarily because of his determination, was a true artist. And as such, he survived because of his artistic efforts.
Studirajući slikarstvo u međuratnoj Europi, Frankl kao umjetnik prati glavne tendencije razdoblja svojega razvoja koje drastično mijenjaju temelje akademske umjetničke naobrazbe. U formativnoj dobi, dok pohađa studij umjetnosti i slikarstva kod profesora Františeka Reichentala, Gustava Mallyja, Ludovita Fulla i Josefa Vydre u rodnoj Bratislavi, nadahnut smjelošću moderne, a posebno pojavnošću Picassa na umjetničkoj sceni, Frankl ipak likovnim izrazom slijedi čvrst trag ekspresionizma, dok duhovno inklinira senzibilnosti Chagalla s kojim dijeli i pripadnost židovskoj zajednici te baštini sudbinu „obilježenosti”. Holokaust, naravno, nije trebao biti jedina tema Franklovih mnogobrojnih radova, ali, tako je ispalo. Iako mladi Frankl slika prizore iz svakodnevice predratnog života u Bratislavi i Beču, posve je očito da uskoro duboko proživljeno osobno iskustvo Holokausta u logoru Auschwitz-Birkenau postaje središnjom temom njegova umjetničkog opusa i cjeloživotna umjetnička preokupacija. Pristupajući temi traume na osebujan način, na trenutke gotovo dokumentaristički, posve nevjerojatno – sačuvano kao iz logora, gdje krokijevski iz prikrajka na komadićima papira ilustrira scene užasa, Frankl se, pokraj svojih snažnih kolorističkih platna, osobito u malim formatima crteža, približava izrazu slavnog Otta Dixa koji svojim djelima bilježi traumatična stradanja i ovjekovječuje sjećanja na ratne strahote. Upravo kao što Dixova glasovita mapa grafika „Rat” iz 1924. ide u red najsnažnijih umjetničkih dokumenata strahota ratnih užasa, društvenog kaosa i apsolutnog raspada svih etičkih vrijednosti i relativnosti ljudskog postojanja, tako se i Franklovi potresni krokiji, manje znani široj javnosti, upisuju u neke od možda najpotresnijih umjetničkih dokumenata
While studying painting during the period in-between the two world wars in Europe, Frankl followed the main tendencies of the period that drastically changed the very foundations of the academic education in art. In his formative years, while he was attending the classes in art and painting thought by professors František Reichental, Gustav Mally, Ludovit Full and Josef Vydra in his native Bratislava, inspired by the brave ideas of modern art and especially by the appearance of Picasso on the art scene, Frankl's artistic expression firmly followed traces of expressionism, spiritually inclining to Chagall's sensibility with whom he shared affiliation to the Jewish community and destiny of 'labeled ones'. The Holocaust, of course, was not supposed to be the only topic of numerous Frankl's works of art but that was the way things turned out. Although young Frankl painted scenes from everyday life in the pre-war Bratislava and Vienna, it is rather apparent that soon enough deep personal experience of the Holocaust and the time spent at the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp became the central theme of his oeuvre and his life-long preoccupation. Approaching the theme of trauma in a very peculiar manner, sometimes almost documentary, unbelievably preserved as if the works came directly from the camp where he secretly worked on croquis drawings on small pieces of paper illustrating scenes of horror, Frankl, besides his strong colorist canvases and especially in small drawing forms, came closer to the artistic expression of the famous Otto Dix whose works record traumatic experiences perpetuating memories on the war atrocities. As Dix’s renowned map
Adolf Eichmann ulje na platnu 40 × 30 cm, oko 1957.
Adolf Eichmann oil on canvas 40 × 30 cm, about 1957
Glavu SS oficira Adolfa Eichmanna tvore dijelovi tijela logoraša.
Body parts form the face of the SS Officer Adolf Eichmann.
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iznjedrenih rukom žrtve, ne samo nakon proživljene traume, nego upravo kao i da su sa samog mjesta užasa. Na sličan način kao što Dix u svojim grafikama razotkriva beskraj ljudske izopačenosti, bila to scena s bojišnice ili gradskih ulica i kavana u kojima ratna svakodnevica pulsira zastrašujućom dramaturgijom, tako i Franklovi krokiji s, primjerice, motivima povorke koja hoda prema plinskoj komori ili trupla obnaženih trudnica i netom rođene djece, zajedno sa scenama surovih pogubljenja, na najizravniji mogući način pronose priču o Holokaustu kao teškoj i duboko uznemirujućoj istini sumraka civilizacije. Kako, dakle, promatrati djela Adolfa Frankla? Iz estetsko-diskurzivnog kuta gledajući, njegov opus primarno je artikuliran stilskim karakteristikama njemačkog ekspresionizma koji se očituje u izravnosti emocionalne izražajnosti karakterizirane iskrivljenim formama i jarkim bojama. Fizionomije Franklovih protagonista, bilo na platnima bilo na crtežima, deformirane su, naglašene mimike, gotovo uvijek na rubu groteske. Dok njegova platna dišu jarkim, gustim nanosima boja na tragu stvaralaštva Oskara Kokoschke, gdjekad iznimno izraženim komplementarnim kolorizmom u funkciji naglašavanja atmosfere jezovitosti agonije, njegovi crteži, studije i ilustracije, narisani brzo i vješto na malim komadima papira, koje redovito prati i umjetnikov zapis s pojašnjenjem motiva, srodni su rukopisu Grosza i Dixa iz grupe Nova objektivnost. Pojednostavljeni likovni jezik krokija temeljen na što izravnijem hvatanju krucijalnog momenta, s upotrebom konvencionalne metaforike i simbola, lišen luksuza naknadnih prepravaka, s repetitivnim matricama pojednostavljene sintakse, Franklov su način na koji ubojito izravno prenosi svoje traumatično logorsko iskustvo. Bez povišenih emocionalnih tonova u smislu elegičnog patosa, gotovo na granici groteske i sirovosti izraza svojevrsne karikaturalnosti, umjetnik preuzima na sebe nezahvalnu, ali svakako divljenja vrijednu ulogu preživjelog svjedoka i pronositelja glasa žrtava o istini Holokausta. Ući u Franklov svijet napučen stravičnim imaginarijem smrti i beznađa teško je i mučno, ali prijeko potrebno i civilizacijski ljekovito. Kada govorimo već o potrebi progovaranja i neprestanog podsjećanja na traumu, nebrojeno puta spomenuta i parafrazirana misao filozofa Theodorea Adorna „pisanje poezije nakon Auschwitza bilo bi ravno barbarskom činu” („Negativna dijalektika” 1949.) u kojoj vrlo izravno osporava mogućnost svake umjetničke prakse i estetskog stvaranja nakon Holokausta, pokrenula je lavinu reakcija u svijetu umjetnosti.
of graphics entitled ‘The War’ from 1924 belongs among the strongest artistic documents of war monstrousness, social chaos, absolute dissolution of all moral values and relativity of human existence, Frankl’s soul-stirring croquis drawings, less known to the broader public, belong to some of the most shocking art documents created by a victim’s hand, not only after the experience of trauma but also as if they came directly from the place of dismay. Similarly to Dix, whose graphics display the infinity of human perversion exposing the scenes from the battlefield or city streets and cafes where the reality of war pulsates with horrific dramaturgy, Frankl’s croquis drawings comprise motifs such as a procession marching towards gas chamber or dead bodies of naked pregnant women and newborn babies together with the scenes of brutal executions thus communicating the story about the Holocaust as hard and deeply disturbing truth about the dawn of human civilization in the most direct way. How is then one to observe Adolf Frankl’s works of art? Looking from an aesthetical and discursive point of view, his oeuvre is primarily articulated through the stylistic characteristics inherent to German expressionism which is apparent in the directness of emotional expression characterized by distorted forms and bright colors. Both on paintings and drawings, Frankl’s protagonists have deformed physiognomies with accentuated mimics, almost always on the edge of grotesque. While his paintings have many thick layers of bright colors following the tradition of Oskar Kokoschka, and sometimes with exceptionally accentuated complementary colorist qualities whose function is to further highlight the atmosphere of terrifying agony, his drawings, studies and illustrations were drawn quickly and skillfully on tiny pieces of paper always followed by the artist’s brief note explaining the motif which makes them congenial to the handwriting of Grosz and Dix from the New Objectivity. Simplified discourse applied in croquis, founded in the attempt to directly capture that crucial moment with the use of conventional metaphoric and symbols, deprived of the luxury to correct anything at a later time, with repetitive matrices of a simplified syntax, is actually Frankl’s way to directly communicate the traumatic experience of the extermination camp. Without elevated emotional tones in terms of elegiac pathos, almost on the brink of grotesque and crudity of expression linked to a kind of caricature, the artist undertakes unfavorable but noteworthy role of a survived witness and a person who can transmit the voice of the Holocaust victims. It is hard and painful to
Vizije iz pakla ulje na platnu 85 × 190 cm, oko 1959.
Ovom slikom pokušao sam opisati porijeklo ljudske vrste, našu agoniju, našu tugu, našu beznadnost, kroz majku u spirali. U logoru sam video umiruću majku čiji su zadnji pokreti bili zaštititi svoje dijete. Vidio sam i druge logoraše kako umiru gušenjem, u plinskim komorama, davljenjem, mecima, samoubojstvom.
Duboko zamišljen nad fenomenom zla i Holokausta samog, Adorno se referirao na ultimativnu i neopozivu neprikazivost iskustava traume koja izmiče svakoj, pa tako i najplemenitijoj umjetničkoj interpretaciji. Godinama poslije, međutim, Adorno je ipak revidirao svoj stav i priznao da iako slaba i optuživana, umjetnost doista ostaje jedan od posljednjih bastiona imaginarnog otpora barbarizmu jer trajna patnja ima isto toliko prava na izraz upravo onako kao što onaj koga muče mora vrištati. Slijedeći stav suvremenih teorija koje pažljivo odvajaju kliničke i terapeutske aspekte traume od imperativa njezinih reprezentacija i in-
terpretacija, ne bi li na taj način naglasili da je pojedinačna trauma prije svega uključena u načine kojima se prikazuje u nekom društvu, treba istaknuti da upravo iskustvo traume upisuje kao prijelomni trenutak neke kulture, a njezine interpretacije i reprezentacije kao društveno simbolički činovi postaju najvažniji aspekti njezina razumijevanja. Ili kako to teoretičar Kirby Farell sažima: svaka rana zahtijeva svoju interpretaciju. Adolf Frankl, umjetnik kojeg je trauma Auschwitza trajno obilježila do kraja života, svoje je rane vidao kroz svoja djela. Slično kao što je Otto Dix, stvarajući za vrijeme Prvoga svjetskog rata pod napadima
Visions from the Inferno oil on canvas 85 × 190 cm, about 1959
With this painting I tried to depict the origin of mankind, our agony, our sorrow and our hopelessness, through the mother in the spiral. In the camp I saw a dying mother whose last movement was intended to protect her child. I also saw other prisoners dying through suffocation, gassing, strangulation, shooting, suicide.
enter Frankl’s world populated with horrific images of death and despair, however that has to be done because it is necessary and it has the power to cure the civilization. The need to speak up and continuously recall the trauma immediately invokes Theodore Adorno’s quote Writing poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric (‘Negative Dialectics’, 1949) which has been mentioned and paraphrased on many occasions. This quote directly denies any art practice and aesthetic creation after the Holocaust and, as such, it inspired an
avalanche of reactions in the world of art. Deeply emerged in the evil as a phenomenon and the Holocaust itself, Adorno referred to the ultimate and irrevocable impossibility to depict trauma which escapes any, even the noblest artistic interpretation. However, Adorno revised his position later on admitting that, although weak and incriminated, art truly remains one of the last defense points of an imaginary opposition to barbarism because perennial suffering has as much right to expression as a tortured man has right to scream. Following the position of some contemporary theories, which separate clinical and therapeutic aspects of trauma from
18 ADOLF FRANKL
Vjera ulje na platnu 50 × 59,5 cm, oko 1969. Vjera koja nam daje snagu ponekad je ista ona koja nas vodi u očaj.
The Faith oil on canvas 50 × 59,5 cm, about 1969 The faith that gives us strength is the same one that sometimes drives us to despair.
Zahvala za kruh ulje na platnu 48 × 61 cm, oko 1954. Naša tijela iscrpljena su od rada, batina i gladi. Unatoč svemu, zahvaljivali smo Bogu. Razmišljali smo samo o hrani, vodi i preživljavanju. Citat iz molitve na hebrejskom: „... Blagoslovljen Ti si, Gospodine Bože naš, Vladaru svemira, koji donosiš kruh iz zemlje...”
Giving thanks for bread oil on canvas 48 × 61 cm, about 1954 Our bodies were weakened by work, beatings, and hunger. In spite of everything, we still said Grace. Thoughts were only attuned to eating, drinking, and surviving. A quote from a prayer in Hebrew: “... Blessed are you, oh Lord, our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth...”
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Cigani ulje na platnu 90,5 × 100,5 cm, oko 1963. Kao i židovi, Romi su bili izloženi stravično lošem tretmanu. Mržnja prema njima bila je iznimno jaka. Žene, djeca i muškarci ubijani su plinom zajedno.
The Gypsies oil on canvas 90,5 × 100,5 cm, about 1963 As with the Jews, the Gypsies were subjected to very bad handling. The hatred against this group was very strong. Women, children and men were gassed together.
granata, a zatim i uoči Drugoga svjetskog rata imao potrebu umjetnošću angažirano progovoriti o svoj izopačenosti društva koje utire put ratnim stradanjima i bezimenom umiranju po ledenim i blatnim rovovima, Adolf Frankl svojim umjetničkim pregnućem i iskustvom preživjelog logoraša, svojim se radovima obračunava s vlastitom traumom, ali i uvijek iznova njezinom reprezentacijom i interpretacijom upire u zanimljivu kontradiktornost umjetnosti same. S jedne strane, umjetnosti u terapeutskom smislu u kontekstu umjetničkog djela u službi utjehe i utočišta, a s druge strane umjetnosti kao vječnog podsjetnika i opomene da se ovakve povijesne traume i civilizacijske pomrčine nikada, baš nikada više ne ponove i da se ne zaborave.
Paola Orlić
povjesničarka umjetnosti
the imperative of its representation and interpretation to underline the fact that an individual trauma is above all included in various manners used for its presentation within a particular society, it is important to note that the experience of trauma functions as a breaking moment in the history of a particular culture and its interpretation and representation as social acts become the key aspects for its better understanding. Or, as the theoretician Kirby Farell put it: every wound demands its interpretation. Adolf Frankl, an artist marked with the traumas experienced in Auschwitz until the last day of his life, tried to cure those wounds through his art. Similarly to Otto Dix, who had been creating during the First World War under the attack of grenades and who had had the need to use art to speak about the perverseness of the society paving the way to war sufferings and countless deaths in frozen, muddy trenches at the awe of the Second World War, Adolf Frankl used his artistic talent and experience of a Holocaust survivor to face his own trauma and represent and interpret it so to point out to an interesting contradiction of terms inherent to art itself. On the one hand, art has therapeutic function as the ultimate comfort and refuge, and on the other, art is here a constant reminder and warning that such historical traumas and civilization darkness should never ever get repeated or forgotten.
Paola Orlić Art Historian
20 ADOLF FRANKL
Tetoviranje ulje na platnu 71,5 × 91 cm, oko 1955.
Selekcija u Birkenau ulje na platnu 66,5 × 88 cm, oko 1959.
Tattooing oil on canvas 71,5 × 91 cm, about 1955
Selection in Birkenau oil on canvas 66,5 × 88 cm, about 1959
Krematorij – Nosači leševa ulje na platnu 57 × 57 cm, oko 1965.
Jahači apokalipse ulje na platnu 91,5 × 101 cm, oko 1962.
The Crematoria – Corpse bearer oil on canvas 57 × 57 cm, about 1965
The apocalyptic horsemen oil on canvas 91,5 × 101 cm, about 1962
ADOLF FRANKL 21
Crvena armija oslobađa ulje na platnu 120,5 × 90 cm, oko 1959. 18. siječnja 1945. naređeno nam je da evakuiramo logor AuschwitzBirkenau. Bilo nas je otprilike dvije tisuće logoraša.
Liberation by the Red Army oil on canvas 120,5 × 90 cm, about 1959 On 18th January 1945, I, and approximately 2000 prisoners from the extermination camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau, were ordered to evacuate the camp.
Adolf Frankl rođen je 1903. godine u Bratislavi, Slovačka. Nakon osnovnog i srednjoškolskog obrazovanja upisuje se u Bratislavi na studij povijesti umjetnosti i slikarstva te diplomira slikarstvo u klasi profesora Františeka Reichentála i Gustáva Mallýa. Nakon studija pridružuje se ocu u poslu uređenja interijera, ženi se te osniva tvrtku koja mu je poslije oduzeta u procesima arijanizacije. U rujnu 1944. godine Adolf Frankl je uhapšen u Bratislavi, potom je odveden u slovački koncentracijski logor Sered odakle je kasnije deportiran u logor AuschwitzBirkenau. Obitelj mu se skrivala po raznim lokacijama u Bratislavi i ostali su na životu. Nakon evakuacije Auschwitz-Birkenaua, Frankl preživljava tifusne barake Althammera, odakle ga 27. siječnja 1945. oslobađa Crvena armija. Koncem travnja iste godine vraća se u Bratislavu te započinje svoj ciklus „Umjetnost protiv zaborava”. Godine 1949. komunistički režim prisilio je Frankla da opet ostavi svoj „voljeni rodni grad”, kako je Bratislavu često nazivao u imenima svojih slika. Godine 1950. emigrira s obitelji te nakon što još neko vrijeme živi po raznim gradovima svijeta, konačno se zaustavlja u Beču, u kojem nastavlja stvarati sve do svoje smrti 18. kolovoza 1983. godine. Thomas Frankl sin je Adolfa Frankla i voditelj izložbe „Umjetnost protiv zaborava” u Beču. Prema Thomasovim sjećanjima na oca, Adolf Frankl je vrlo rijetko govorio o svojem iskustvu Holokausta. Umjesto toga, sjećanja iz tog strašnog razdoblja prenosio je kroz svoje slikarstvo te je svojim umjetničkim djelom ostavio trajnu uspomenu na ono što se ne smije zaboraviti.
Adolf Frankl was born in 1903 in Bratislava, Slovakia. After primary and secondary education he enrolled in the art history and painting studies under František Reichentál i Gustáv Mallý in Bratislava. After college he entered the interior decoration business with his father, got married and founded his own firm that was later expropriated through aryanisation. In September 1944, Adolf Frankl was arrested in Bratislava and taken to the Slovakian concentration camp Sered and little afterwards deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. His family was hiding at various locations in Bratislava and they survived. After the evacuation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Frankl survived in the thypus-ridden barracks in Althammer where he was liberated by the Red Army on January 27th, 1945. In late April of the same year he returned to Bratislava and began the cycle “Art Against Oblivion”. The 1949 communist regime forced Frankl to leave his “beloved hometown”, as Bratislava is often called in the names of his paintings, again. In the 1950 he migrated with his family and after living in different world cities for some time, he finally settled in Vienna, where he continues to create until his death on August 18th, 1983. Thomas Frankl is the son of Adolf Frankl and custodian of the exhibition “Art against Oblivion” in Vienna. According to Thomas’s memories of his father, Adolf Frankl rarely talked about his experience of the Holocaust. Instead, the memories of that terrible period he passed through his painting and with his art left lasting memory on what should not be forgotten.
IMPRESSUM Organizator i nakladnik / organizer and publisher Udruga FESTIVAL SUVREMENOG ŽIDOVSKOG FILMA Zagreb The Jewish Film Festival Zagreb Association
Autorica teksta u katalogu / Text author Paola Orlić
Tisak / Print Intergrafika - TTŽ d.o.o.
Produkcija izložbe / Exhibition production Galerija Klovićevi dvori, Zagreb The Klovićevi dvori Gallery, Zagreb
Papir GardaMatt Art 150 g i GardaMatt Art 300 g Paper GardaMatt Art 150 g and GardaMatt Art 300 g Ustupili/Courtesy of Europapier Adria d.o.o.
Zagreb, 2014.
Kustosica / Curator Marita Bonačić
Slika na omotu / Cover page
Direktorica Festivala / Festival director Nataša Popović
Oblikovanje izložbe / Exhibition design Mario Beusan
Predsjednik Festivala / President of the Festival Branko Lustig
Grafičko oblikovanje i vizualni identitet Graphic design and visual identity Ružičasta breskvica d.o.o., Zagreb
Galerija Klovićevi dvori The Klovićevi dvori Gallery
Vlasnik eksponata / Exhibit owner Thomas Frankl / Artforum Galeria Voditeljica projekta / Project manager Jelena Andrašić
Tipografija / Typography Typonine - Nikola Đurek Naklada / Printrun 1000
Lica koja me progone, ulje na platnu, 46,5 x 60,5 cm, oko 1954. Bezbrojna lica mojih sudrugova logoraša zapečaćena su u mome umu i progone me noću i danju. Slika sadrži autoportret. Faces which haunt me, oil on canvas, 46,5 x 60,5 cm, about 1954 The faces of innumerable fellow prisoners have engraved themselves on my mind, and haunt me day and night. The painting contains self-portrait.
CIP zapis dostupan u računalnom katalogu Nacionalne i sveučilišne knjižnice u Zagrebu pod brojem 876472 ISBN 978-953-58071-0-0 Izložba je ostvarena pod pokroviteljstvom Ministarstva kulture Republike Hrvatske. The exhibition is under patronage of Ministry of Culture of Republic of Croatia.
Zahvaljujemo svim institucijama i pojedincima koji su pomogli u realizaciji izložbe „Umjetnost protiv zaborava”. We thank all the institutions and individuals who contributed in the realization of the “Art against Oblivion” exhibitions.