Project Details
The new groundbreaking Holocaust Galleries at Imperial War Museum (IWM) London make it the first museum in the world to present and examine the Holocaust within the context of the Second World War. A close collaboration between Squint/Opera, the IWM curatorial team and exhibition designers Casson Mann, the galleries immerse visitors in the powerful human story of the Holocaust and challenge the way we understand and learn from our past.
Client
Imperial War Museum
Location
London, UK
Sector
Museums & Attractions
Collaborators
Casson Mann, Idee und Klang
The Brief
Working closely with the IWM curatorial team, we were tasked to create the media content for the new Holocaust Galleries and present a dark and complex episode of human history in a sensitive, engaging and accessible way.
Our Response
Squint produced a wide range of media content for 11 galleries, including digital exhibits, video installations, films and motion graphics, bringing the stories of real people from diverse communities to a new generation of museum visitors. Our aim was to make history feel current, ensuring that human experiences of these horrific events are never forgotten. Creative use of film and digital media played a key part in engaging new and future audiences with the complex narrative of the Holocaust.
Using motion graphics, Squint visualised for the first time important data to reveal the scale of the deportation organised by the Nazi regime. A digital map puts into perspective the complicity of the multiple parties involved in the orchestration of something so cruel. The media design creates a meditative and emotive environment, which not only informs but also allows visitors to reflect on a difficult subject.
“The most important thing was to tell the stories of victims of the holocaust, paying testament to their experiences, that’s the thing that Squint Opera and myself are most proud of” – Katharine Luff, Producer Squint Opera.
An inevitable sense of unease is carefully balanced with contemplative moments. The most powerful of these perhaps is the Massacre room – set against a backdrop of large-scale projections of serene landscapes. Only at a close second look, does one find out that this is actually modern day footage of former massacre sites. Exploring the concept of absence and memory, the film edit treats landscape as archive material and purposefully brings the Holocaust into the modern day. The approach highlights the fragility of peace and humanity and our need to not only commemorate, but learn from the trauma of the past.