Ariel Reichman: "Keiner soll frieren!"

With the presentation "No one should freeze!", the Felix Nussbaum House in the Museumsquartier Osnabrück is showing an exhibition of newly created works by the artist Ariel Reichman. Born in South Africa in 1979 during the apartheid era, he immigrated to Israel with his family at the age of 13 and now lives in Berlin. Reichmann's work deals with the connection between personal biography, memory, personal thoughts and feelings and individual political awareness. His art revolves around concepts such as empathy and human vulnerability. When Ariel Reichman exhibited in Sofia, Bulgaria, he visited the market next to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on his last day in the city. Unexpectedly, he came across numerous utensils with swastika or imperial eagle emblems lying on the tables there - from cutlery to SS badges and pins, lighters and cigarette holders. Alongside Disney figures and matryoshka dolls, Nazi memorabilia was given its place among the trivialities, openly displayed and offered for sale. This spontaneous confrontation sparked Reichman's intense desire to remove the objects from the public space, to take away their presence, to make them ineffective - and became the initial moment for the works in the exhibition "No one should freeze!". It is possible to purchase so-called "Nazi memorabilia" via international auction houses, online stores, even eBay and Amazon. The items range from pins and badges to helmets, clothing, photos and personal items. As a result of his experience at the Sofia market, Ariel Reichman follows several of these live auctions and acquires numerous Nazi metal items. "My primary motivation is to remove these objects from the public space. The wish is that these kinds of objects should ideally no longer be available at all" (Ariel Reichman). In the next step, Reichman first heats these metal objects over fire so that they melt and then pours them into water, where they harden abruptly. Reichman captures the process of destruction and the moment of renewal in two films. The resulting metal sculptures are presented in the exhibition alongside photographs of small paper and wax flowers, which were given away like badges during the Nazi era as thanks for donations as part of the Winterhilfswerk - an annual collection and donation campaign carried out with great propaganda effort to support 'needy fellow citizens' during the Nazi era in Germany. "No one should starve, no one should freeze!" was the directive for the first Winterhilfswerk in 1933. Behind the seemingly harmless collectibles was a calculated system of National Socialist economic policy and influencing strategy. "No one should freeze!" is also the title of the exhibition and uses works of art that address the process of reshaping and transformation to question whether history can be overcome. What remains on things, architecture, in bodies or even in the way we think about the past? The exhibition is complemented by the Space of Mourning designed by Reichman, a space for conscious pausing and collective mourning, inspired by the Jewish tradition of shiva. On the way there, visitors encounter the light installation I AM (NOT) SAFE as well as an interactive pedestal that can be used to answer the question "Am I Safe?" with "Yes" or "No" at the touch of a button - a personal response that has a visible effect on the outside world. In a three-part workshop "Anxious about the Situation?" developed and led by Ariel Reichman as part of the exhibition, the artist, together with a dancer, a musician and a psychologist, explores the feeling of fear and the complex concept of safety on various levels. Supported by LEAP Foundation and Artis. The educational program is sponsored by the VGH Foundation. In cooperation with the Felix Nussbaum Society Osnabrück.

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