Four artists, four sites of remembrance, and four distinct perspectives on World War II. The Sybir Memorial Museum will host the exhibition as part of the Art of Remembrance project from June 2 to June 30, 2026.
Opening of the exhibition
Date: June 2, 2026
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Venue: The Sybir Memorial Museum
Admission: free
The artists spent several weeks at memorial sites, developing personal interpretations of history. Their sensitivity, emotions, and distinctive perspectives on World War II will be presented in a touring exhibition across all partner locations involved in the project. What inspired them to create their works?
Juhana Moisander – Finnish audiovisual artist
During his stay at the Sybir Memorial Museum, he created a moving audiovisual installation titled “Mother.” While listening to the memories of Sybiraks, he encountered a striking linguistic coincidence: one deportee described the rhythm of a departing train as a repeating sound — “mat-ka, mat-ka, mat-ka.” In Finnish, the word matka means “journey.” This dual meaning became a key concept for the artist, linking the idea of the mother with the experience of a forced journey and separation.
Rebekka Bauer – German artist
She found inspiration for her work in Paraloup, Italy — a place dedicated to the memory of the anti-fascist resistance movement. Rebekka Bauer created an installation consisting of drawings, photographs, and the diary of a woman involved in the resistance.
Raphaël Dallaporta – French artist
During his residency at the Bastogne War Museum, he conducted field research in the Belgian Ardennes. The central motif of his series is the trees growing on former battlefields — living matter that serves as a silent witness to history. The resulting works form a series of photographs and sculptures that treat the Ardennes landscape as an archive of war.
Gail Ritchie – illustrator and sculptor from Northern Ireland
During her residency at La Coupole, a former underground bunker built by the Germans between 1943 and 1944, she created a series of works exploring themes of time, transformation, and the fragility of existence.
The Art of Remembrance project is co-funded by the European Union. For more information, visit: www.art-of-remembrance.eu.
