• Exhibition
  • Research

[ When the pillars carry
grief ]

Commemoration 30 Years after the Ruandan Genocide

  • Date

    7. April 2024

  • Partner

    Bele & Gilles, Brunnenpassage

  • Location

    Yppenplatz, Vienna, AT

This project is the prelude to a remembrance project, a work in progress, the aim of which is to record as many names as possible of the victims of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda over the next five years and to complete the column of names.

»

A black hole that absorbs all matter and even light is monstrous - and equally monstrous is man in his nameless cruelty. What do we know of a person whose name is all that remains? And what if this is also forgotten and they are only represented by an abstract number?

«
Elvira M. Gross

  • This project by Bele Marx & Gilles Mussard is the prelude to a remembrance project, a work in progress, aiming to record as many names of the victims of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda as possible over the next five years, so we can complete the pillar of names. The commemorative work is to be completed in the 35th memorial year of 2029.

    Framed by the three analogue pillars of remembrance in plain black, a large virtual pillar, the pillar of names, forms the center of the artwork, which is visible in the digital world. It shows the names of the victims named by the Rwanda Diaspora in Austria. The names are also read aloud and can be heard via loudspeakers or headphones.

  • Against the background of the question of commemoration in public space (the pros and cons of a permanent memorial in the culture of remembrance), the installation around the Pillars of Remembrance at Yppenplatz Brunnenpassage, Vienna, makes critical aspects visible, document and record them, thus initiating a process of debate and stimulating discussion.

    In cooperation with Bele Marx & Gilles Mussard, two artists based in Vienna, and Ancilla Umubyeyi, a survivor of the genocide against the Tutsi, we worked together to fulfil Ancillas wish of never letting the genocide and its victims be forgotten and that we as human beings can learn from these mistakes in the past.

    • Initiated:

    • Ancilla Umubyeyi

    • Artistic Concept and Production:

    • Bele Marx & Gilles Mussard

    • 3D Art:

    • Peter Varnai

    • Photos:

    • © SystemKollektiv, Hideo SNES, Bele Marx & Gilles Mussard

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