Art for Art’s Sake:The Collection and New Museum of Holocaust Art

The Yad Vashem law enacted by Israel's Parliament assigned Yad Vashem "To collect, investigate and publish all evidence regarding the Shoah and its heroic aspects, and to inculcate its lesson upon our people."

The legislators' vision inspired the creation of the Yad Vashem Art Museum; its holdings comprise the largest collection of Holocaust Art in the world. This art was predominantly created by Jewish artists living under German occupation, in cities, ghettos and concentration camps during WWII. Their faithful, brave and stirring testimony allows us, albeit briefly, to approximate a reality that has so often been termed as indescribable. These sketches, drawings and paintings are neither a documentary account nor an indictment; they are above all a manifestation of one of the highest forms of heroism, a gesture of defiance proclaiming the triumph of the spirit. Creating art under these conditions, where the simple task of finding the art materials was a major accomplishment, and where skills were first and foremost put to use to survive, is an affirmation to the creative impetus; an impulse so strong, it did not succumb under the fiercest conditions. For many, such bravery cost their lives. Hidden at risk of being found and destroyed, the fact that these works of art were preserved against tremendous odds, is an added aspect of miraculous proportions. Their retrieval by the survivors required a different kind of commitment and courage without which these works would not have reached our collection.

In recent years our collection has expanded in a new and exciting direction. Contemporary artists, the second and third generation of Holocaust survivors, as well as those who have no personal ties to this darkest period in twentieth century history, are applying their artistic skills and imagination, and using contemporary media to confront this subject. It is our belief that these artistic expressions will enable future generations to maintain an honest intellectual exchange with an event of the past we must never forget.

The Yad Vashem Art Museum is currently engaged in the planning and display of temporary exhibitions from its permanent collection, in association with other public and private collections worldwide. Our exhibition program is a vital part of Yad Vashem's efforts to engage our visitors in a variety of experiences to ensure a personal and meaningful visit.

For further information please address inquiries to the Art Museum staff at: art.museum@yadvashem.org.il