IN THE WORKS
Fort Point National Historic Site, San Francisco, California
CURRENTLY ON VIEW
“Fort Point: A Bastion of Memory.”, a video artwork projected onto the interior historic bastions, Fort Point National Historic Site, San Francisco.
I am delighted to announce the unveiling of a new video artwork in collaboration with the Fort Point National Historic Site, called Fort Point: A Bastion of Memory.
On View: Thursday thru Mondays, from 10am - 4:30pm, until - December 30, 2024
The 45-minute show visually explores the fort during the early 20th century, focusing on the Fort Point Life Saving Station, the Lighthouse, and the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.
UNVEILING EVENT
You are invited to attend the unveiling event at Fort Point on Sunday July 28, 2pm - 4pm
ART & HISTORY TALK
You are also invited to attend a special discussion between myself about the visual and oral histories derived from the park archives with Park Archivist, Amanda Williford on Saturday August 17, at 2pm - 3pm
Where: 2nd Floor West Bastion, Fort Point National Historic Site, San Francisco
Over the course of 45 minutes, hundreds of photographs and oral histories explore the fort during the early 20th century.
The piece is narrated by Captain Cornelius Sullivan who served at the Fort Point Life Saving Station, Meriam Nagel, a member of the multi-generational Nagel family, who grew up at the Fort Point Light Station, from 1906 - 1920 and sisters Louis Cook and Josephine Hettel who lived at the Fort Point Light Station from 1923 until shortly before its closure in 1933. Evan “Slim” Lambert, recounts surviving the Golden Gate Bridge construction accident of February 1937, in which he attempted to save the life of Fred Dummatzen. Photographs of the Golden Gate Bridge, taken by Dummatzen during its construction accompany Lambert’s account.
This video presents animated sequences created by artfully stitching together historic still photographs, with oral histories sourced from archival collections held at the Maritime National Historic Library, GGNRA Park Archives and Records Center (PARC), the Western Neighborhoods Project, and the San Francisco Labor Archive among others.
Release of Interrogative Design Book, MIT Press
I am delighted to be part of this book, Interrogative Design, by Ian Wojtowicz. The book is an in depth compendium featuring the work of Krzysztof Wodiczko, his students and artistic colleagues. With rich essays and project examples the book focuses on Wodiczko's, interrogative design approach which focuses on activating the public sphere and enriching public discourse through the production of questions. My contribution is an essay proposing to animate the and interrogate, the Life of Washington Murals in San Francisco.
Virtual Talk, San Francisco Jewish Community Library, February 2, 2025
Visual artist Ben Wood will discuss his family’s Stolpersteine journey, which took place in March 2024, during which they visited Berlin and nearby towns Seelow and Strausberg to lay Stolpersteine for his grandparents’ families who were victims of the Holocaust. In addition to placing these Stolpersteine, Wood gifted the town of Strausberg with an additional memory plaque to be affixed on the facade of the family’s confiscated house, and which via an augmented video retells the building’s history. Wood also recovered the history of the Jewish cemetery of Seelow, which was destroyed during World War II and was later paved over as a parking lot. Wood has created a dynamic visual proposal and with the town of Seelow seeks to return the site as a memory park.
Proposed Jewish Cemetery Memorial, Seelow, Germany
My great-grandfather and great-great grandparents and other ancestors have been buried in a Jewish Cemetery in Germany since the 1800s. During the Nazi period the cemetery was desecrated and in World War Two it was destroyed and later paved over as a parking lot, which it has remained for over 60 years. I am recovering the history of the cemetery and I am working on a proposal with the town to create a memorial and return the paved over cemetery as a memorial park.
Historischer Stadtrundgang - Nr.1, Strausberg, Germany
A short dreamlike tour, reimagines and visually explores 73 Gross Strasse, the former house of my Great-Great Grandparents, that was confiscated by the Gestapo in 1939, and demolished in 1940. During the past year I have been recovering this lost family story and have recreated their house and Textile Shop in Strausberg, Germany, as a 3D model and animation, an artistic process of cultural recovery and repair.
Stolperstein for my great-grandfathers
Over the past year I have been engaged in the process of researching and applying for my great-grandfathers and other ancestors who were victims of the Holocaust. In March 2024, I will be visiting Berlin and suburbs Strausberg, and Seelow, the home towns of my grandparents to lay Stolperstein for my great-grandparents.
IN THE NEWS
IN THE NEWS
NBC Bay Area News, Joe Rosato Jr.
Announcement of Fort Point Project in MIT, Art, Culture and Technology News
Ben Wood, A Bastion of Memory, Announcement
In memory of Max Philippsborn, a stumbling block in Seelow has been commemorated, ODERLAND−ECHO
Strausberg, Germany remembers, Helene Levy, a victim of the National Socialism, MÄRKISCHES ECHO
Art Activating Historic Places, Panel, April 20, California Preservation Conference
I was thrilled and honored to participate in a panel "Art Activating Historic Places", with Cheryl Haines of the FOR-SITE Foundation and Frank Smigiel, Director of Arts and Programming at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture.