Shoah 1997

Curator: This is Wolf Vostell's "Shoah," currently residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's bleak. The frenetic lines and washed-out tones create a palpable sense of anxiety. Curator: Vostell was deeply concerned with the social impact of mass media. He explored how technology shaped our understanding, or misunderstanding, of historical events like the Holocaust. Editor: I see that tension in the contrast between the loose, almost frantic linework, and the more solid, architectural forms in the background. The red feels like a raw wound. How was this made? Curator: It's an etching, a medium well-suited to conveying this kind of starkness. The printmaking process itself, with its acid and pressure, mirrors the destructive forces Vostell critiques. It highlights how artistic media are complicit in representing trauma. Editor: Absolutely. Considering the materials, like acid, amplifies the emotional weight, doesn't it? I leave this piece feeling incredibly uneasy about the nature of representation itself.