Contact: Mike Vietti, National WWI Museum and Memorial, (816) 888-8122, mvietti@theworldwar.org
KANSAS CITY, MO. – As part of the nationwide campaign, Wunderbar Together: Year of German-American Friendship, Goethe Pop Up Kansas City brings the international Holocaust remembrance project Lest We Forget to Kansas City in partnership with the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Opening on Sept. 20, this impressive installation from German-Italian photographer and filmmaker Luigi Toscano will be exhibited on the Memorial Courtyard at the National WWI Museum and Memorial until Oct. 6, 2019.
For Lest We Forget, Toscano visited and took portraits of almost 400 Holocaust survivors in the United States, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Israel, Belarus, Austria, and the Netherlands. These pictures are at the center of this unique photographic installation. Instead of exhibiting them in a museum or a gallery, Toscano presents the large-scale portraits together with small information panels in public places such as parks, squares, or on facades, so they are accessible to everyone. In this way, Lest We Forget reaches thousands of people – regardless of age, origin, language or education.
“The portrayed survivors are the faces and voices of the culture of remembrance,” Toscano said. “They shared a lot with us and they encouraged us to spread their portraits and stories throughout the world. But Lest We Forget is much more than just looking back at our dark past: It urges everyone to confront the past in order to ensure that nothing like the Holocaust ever happens again.”
The installation at the Museum and Memorial features 70 portraits of Holocaust survivors, seven of which were recently taken in Kansas City with support from the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. At the formal opening ceremony at Noon on Sept. 20, local survivors will be in attendance as well as political representatives and other distinguished guests. The artist will conduct guided tours following the ceremony.
In September 2015, the inaugural display of Lest We Forget was presented in Mannheim, Germany, Toscano’s hometown, to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. The installation was later exhibited in Kiev, Ukraine, during the 75th anniversary of the massacre of Babyn Yar.
In 2018, Lest We Forget was brought to the United States. The exhibition was first shown in New York City where it was installed at the United Nations headquarters to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In April, it was shown in Washington, DC where more than 120 portraits were placed along the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Around 150,000 visitors were able to see the world’s largest exhibition of this kind in a public space. In October 2018, Lest We Forget came to Boston and in April 2019, the installation was brought to San Francisco. In May, it was also opened in Vienna, Austria, and Mainz, Germany. Further exhibitions are being planned in cities around the world including Pittsburgh, Chicago, Brussels, and Geneva.
Lest We Forget is under the patronage of the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, Heiko Maas.
About Goethe Pop Up Kansas City
Goethe Pop Up Kansas City operates within the framework of Wunderbar Together: Year of German-American Friendship by hosting events, promoting cultural exchange, and serving as a platform for individuals and artists to discuss shared values and ideas. From October 2018 until late 2019, Germany is highlighting its close friendship to the United States through a yearlong festival. Working with over 200 partners, the celebration will feature over 1,000 events across all 50 states. Wunderbar Together: Year of German-American Friendship is a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by the Goethe-Institut, and supported by the Federation of German Industries (BDI).
About the National WWI Museum and Memorial
The National World WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. The Museum and Memorial holds the most comprehensive collection of World War I objects and documents in the world and is the second-oldest public museum dedicated to preserving the objects, history and experiences of the war. The Museum and Memorial takes visitors of all ages on an epic journey through a transformative period and shares deeply personal stories of courage, honor, patriotism and sacrifice. Designated by Congress as America’s official World War I Museum and Memorial and located in downtown Kansas City, Mo., the National WWI Museum and Memorial inspires thought, dialogue and learning to make the experiences of the Great War era meaningful and relevant for present and future generations. To learn more, visit theworldwar.org.