Art Exhibit: Monica Rabinowitz:

Line #5- Knyazhevo

     Line #5- Knyazhevo, an exhibit by Monica Rabinowitz, located in Hampden Gallery, is on display until May 20th. This powerful work is not only a piece of art, but a piece of history as well. Rabinowitz decide to trace her roots back to her Jewish ancestors who lived in Sofia, Bulgaria in the 1940’s. This exhibit recalls her family’s story.

    During the World War II period in Bulgaria, the Jews were not deported to concentration camps, but were under the law of Defense of the Nation. The Defense of the Nation act in Bulgaria stated that when there were certain restrictions placed on Jews- they couldn’t work in certain professions, had to wear the yellow star of David, they were restricted to certain areas, interracial marriage was not accepted, and some Jews were even persecuted.

    Through her artwork, Rabinowitz was able to bring the past back to life in a creative way. She re-created one of the trams from “Old Bulgaria” and developed a visual narrative. She used one of the trams windshields and projected footage onto it to re-create a train ride through Bulgaria- windshield wipers were even included to give it a more realistic effect. Monica Rabinowitz wanted to tell a story of her past and her families. She wanted to depict the struggles of the people in her culture, in a unique way that was familiar to her, but appealing to the eyes of others- and that she did.

By Aviana Dickerson

5/06/2009