Exhibition ‘Boarding Pass to Paradise’ Arrives in Vienna
Since its first demonstration at Terezin Memorial in May - October 2005, ‘Boarding Pass to Paradise’ made a tour around Czech Republic and in late 2007 arrived in Vienna.
In Vienna, t he exhibit opens on May 15, 2008, marking the 60 th Anniversary of the State of Israel. The venue is most spectacular: the Danube Ship Landing Station Reichsbrucke. Just from here, on the 4th of September1940, the river-steamer Helios set course to take, together with two other steamers, 3,500 Jewish refugees to Palestine. Beda Mayer and Fritz Haendel were among the passengers, but soon turned to ‘artistic reporters’ of the perilous journey. To Beda, it took four and a half years to reach the destination, while Fritz never made it: he committed suicide in January 1945, a few months prior to the detainees’ return to the Holy Land.
The exhibit, built into a grandiose ship installation at the Danube quay (see Georg Schrom’s preparatory sketches on this page), is to be shown until July, then it travels home to Israel. In the autumn 2008, it will be opened at Israeli Ein Harod Art Museum.
About the Exhibit
At the traveling exhibit, the life-stories of Peretz Beda Mayer and Fritz Haendel are illustrated with their remarkable art. Jewish wanderings and fates, spiritual perseverance and adhering to cultural values amidst genocide and pain – these are the focal points of the exhibit's ideology. On the plane of expression, the spectator is fascinated by the two heroes’ irresistible charm and sense of humor, especially brightly shown in their caricatures; Beda’s grotesque ‘circus of life and death’; genuine documents and artifacts from Mauritius detention camp etc.
While Beda’s paintings have been shown in a few occasions in Israel, Fritz's exquisite drawings, cartoons, wood sculptures and woodcuts are shown for the first time.
Exhibit Contents
The first section of the exhibit is ‘historical’ one, consisting of short films and both artists’ travel illustrations about the ‘Atlantic’ journey and Mauritius. Over 320 original works of art and documents are displayed, including:
– Beda Mayer's prewar lithographs and illustrations for Synek Publishers.
– Drawings, cartoons and woodcuts by Mayer and Haendel, made during the Atlantic journey and later on Mauritius.
– Dolls and sculptures.
Sketches and posters for camp theater performances.
– Tommy Mayer's works from Mauritius.
– Original documents: photographs, press articles, letters etc.
– Multimedia productions: 7 short films
12-min film ‘The Cloud Catcher’.
The second section comprises exuberant Mayer’s paintings and drawings from the Israeli period (1945-2002).
Note: Towards the Viennese show in May 2008, the monograph-catalogue ‘Boarding Pass to Paradise’ by Elena Makarova will appear in the German language! The German title is ‘Bordkarte zum Paradies.’
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Plan of the exhibition area |
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Design elements 2 |
