(Short Versions) of Case Studies from the Exhibition FAKE: It Is Not True, It Is Not a Lie
English translations (short versions) of case studies from the exhibition FAKE: It is not true, it is not a lie. Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, Valencia (Spain). October 20, 2016-January 29, 2017. Curated by Jorge Luis Marzo. Museum’s website: http://www.ivam.es/en/exposiciones/fake-it-is-not- true- it-is-not-a-lie/ Book in pdf (Spanish): http://www.soymenos.net/FAKE_IVAM.pdf Showroom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUK4eI0wRp4 At the end of 1943, as a result of a request for a visit by the International Red Cross, the SS undertook a programme of beautification of the Theresienstadt concentration camp (an old fortress near Prague), which was carried out by the Jewish prisoners themselves – many of them musicians, composers, poets, film makers, painters or academics – under severe threats: the streets were repaired, the barracks were painted, allotments and rose bushes were tended, grass was sown, a football field was created, and a children’s playground, a music pavilion and a library were constructed. The whole area was marked out with signs indicating the apparent function of the various areas: store, bakery, library, school, laundry, tailor, etc. After visiting the camp, the committee sent by the Red Cross made a favourable public report about the living conditions of the Jews who had been deported to it. In the summer of 1944, taking advantage of the work that had been done to make the camp more attractive, the Nazis ordered the production of a “documentary style” film about Theresienstadt, which was to be sent to various international organisations to convince them of the “virtues” of the camp.
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