My tapestry series PROPHECY OF THE HOLOCAUST is not based on a literal description of the events but, rather, an interpretation of the feelings they aroused in me–anguish, anxiety, sadness, and even indifference and euphoria.
The Prophecy of the Holocaust tapestries are the result of those deep feelings and the desire to express them artistically.
The series covers four stages of the tragedy and it is inspired, as is most of my work, on Biblical verses from the Old Testament. I have created three major tapestries, representing “BEFORE,” “DURING,” and “AFTER,” conceived as a triptych.
Their designs, colors, and textural nuances accompany the mood of each stage. Attached here are the inspirational texts for each of the tapestries.
It has been a difficult task for me, first of all, daring to approach through my art the theme of the Holocaust, and, furthermore, a technical challenge to carry out the weaving of these large tapestries. However, the desire to fight against denial and forgetting helped and held me all the way.
It has been said that “Holocaust art expresses what words cannot.”
BEFORE
DURING
AFTER
A DREAM COME TRUE
The fourth, accompanying, piece A DREAM COME TRUE is based on the hope for redemption in Zion and the creation of a nation-state for the Jewish people.
A DREAM COME TRUE
SYLVIA FEINSTEIN: INTERVIEW WHY I CHOSE TO ADDRESS THE HOLOCAUST VIA MY ART
Question: As a tapestry artist, what drew you to the difficult theme of the Holocaust?
The Holocaust theme was a constant in my life. During childhood it resounded like whispers in my ears, as if my family was afraid even to mention the subject, although we lived in Argentina, so far away from those terrible events. As an adult, the more I began to understand what really happened, a silent rage grew inside me, and for decades stayed there until, some years ago, the internal “bomb” exploded, channeling through my art. That’s how and why my Prophecy of the Holocaust series of tapestries was born. It was a huge task to carry out the weaving of the large and intense pieces, but when the work was accomplished I regained some of the peace I had lost such a long time before.
Question: The tapestry series – Prophecy of the Holocaust is conceived as a triptych: Before / During / After but you have also added a fourth piece entitled A Dream Come True. What does this fourth piece signify?
The fourth tapestry completing the Prophecy series was inspired by the words of Theodore Herzl “If you will it, it is no dream.” I named the work A Dream Come True, and it represents for me the miracle and the joy of the creation of the Jewish State following the pain and sadness of the Holocaust–a victory over evil, one of the biggest tragedies of humanity.
Question: What was your intention for display of this work?
I have great hope that my Prophecy of the Holocaust series of tapestries will be permanently exhibited in a public space–a museum, school, or private foundation where many people would have the opportunity to see the work. Following my experience when the work was exhibited at the Holocaust Museum in Uruguay, I realized how the public appreciates and connects strongly with the message of these works, perhaps in part due to my quite abstract style of expression.
