Susie Raz
For the one whose voice was silenced
The Long Gallery
27th October - 20th November
OPENING
Thursday 10th November 2022
7:30 - 9:30pm
The Long Gallery
The opening will host guest speaker Gillian Essex of Grandmothers of Refugees, with live music performed by The Max Raz-Liebman Trio.
Entry is free, but booking is required.
‘This project tells the story of the persecution of my family in Europe during WWII. It focuses on the fate of both those who were able to flee and those who were unable to do so, most of whom perished.
The suite of paintings and accompanying documents highlight the complex and enduring experience of refugees who not only are forced to abandon a familiar way of life and adopt a new identity in a foreign land, but are also often forced to leave loved ones behind. If these loved ones die, there is no opportunity for closure.
Elsa Schwabach was my great grandmother. A Jewish woman living in Prague in the 1940s, her family obtained a Landing Permit for her that should have enabled her to join those who had already fled to Australia. Tragically, she never received the permit and was murdered in Auschwitz in 1944.
It is my wish that by giving Elsa a voice through the telling of her story, her dignity is reinstated and her memory can be laid to rest.
Furthermore, I believe that telling stories of systematic human injustice that have occurred throughout history is of great importance for raising our awareness as a nation. During the last decade I have witnessed the Australian Government adopt policies that have dehumanized asylum seekers under the guise of national security. These risk us taking part in a collective injustice that perpetuates ‘the banality of evil’ – a state of mind where cruelty is presented as being perfectly reasonable.
Elsa’s story is thus of ongoing relevance. As wars rage around our planet, this exhibition can contribute to building a community that rejects all forms of discrimination and is instead guided by compassion and mutual respect.’ - Susie Raz
Elsa & Anneliese, 1938
Hans, Henriette & Anneliese depart Vienna for Australia, 1938
“Otto, Kathe & Elsa sent to Theresienstadt, Prague 1942”. In the summer of 1942, we had to leave our beautiful home and were moved into a single room like most of the Jews. There we lived together until we were transported to Theresienstadt on 7th Feb.