Holocaust Memory in Dialogue: Jenny Kagan’s Experiential Exhibition in Kaunas “Out of Darkness”

This paper examines “Out of Darkness”, an immersive exhibition by Jenny Kagan, which presents the story of her parents, who survived the Holocaust in Kaunas. Through a carefully curated interplay of historical narratives, personal artefacts, and scenographic installations, Kagan constructs a space where memory is not merely recalled but actively performed and reconstructed.

The exhibition reception provoked a wide range of emotional responses from its visitors. In some cases, comparisons were made between the atrocities of the Holocaust and war crimes in Ukraine. The present article aims to explore the factors that prompted exhibition visitors to establish a connection between the memory of the Holocaust and the atrocities of the modern world. The study demonstrated that visitors exhibited a strong emotional response to the exhibition, which was precipitated by the exhibition’s architecture. This emotional architecture integrated performative elements with a personal narrative, thereby evoking a profound emotional response in visitors, while fostering strong empathy and the ability to make ethical comparisons with contemporary experiences.

The article puts forward the argument that the performative nature of the exhibition, when combined with its intimate and deeply personal narrative, resulted in the activation of multidirectional memory. The article draws upon a theoretical foundation established by Michael Rothberg, Marianne Hirsch, Astrid Erll, and other scholars in the field. This theoretical framework facilitates a more profound comprehension of how the exhibition juxtaposes Holocaust narratives with contemporary geopolitical violence, particularly the war in Ukraine. This juxtaposition serves to promote an evolving dialogue between historical traumas, thereby contributing to a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the interplay between history and contemporary geopolitical realities.