As part of Art Works! European Culture of Resistance and Liberation the Austrian youth group (Minou Nekolny, Janine Scheer-Erb, Kerstin Schwarz, Franziska Hinteregger, Catherine Spet, Sara Hörtenhuber, Zoé Gendron) mentored by Anderwald + Grond, dealt with female resistance during World War II.
Standing as a representation for what was found during the research period, are the words of Hilde Meisel´s poem, `Tis. The original German rendition, Das ist`s.. can also be read as That´s it… (`Tis being the short form of that phrase). In her poem, Hilde Meisel refers to what it is, what drives, fuels and inspires the resistance in the past: a timeless truth that pertains our present circumstance of remembrance and continued active resistance. There are two colons in her poem, giving the answers to unheard questions. The first unheard question might be read as “What gives your life strength and confidence and bravery?”, the answer being “That solely you it´s not”, referring to the collective of freedom-seeking individuals who have gone through great lengths in the past and present. Their struggle and their death is meaningful, striking waves that again make your life and effort meaningful. The second unheard question might be read as “On difficult days, how can you continue, what lifts your spirits in order to carry on?” the answer, again referring to the collective: “Others suffered in times unforgettably hard” – an appeal, to never forget the extent of what can happen if the virtues of justice and truth are not fought for.
In the audio rendition of this collaborative work, the group decided to intensify the answers to these unheard questions by referring to the human collective: different people that speak different languages answer to the unheard questions, striking new waves that cohere with the powerful statement of `Tis… For that´s it: solely us it is not, and it has never been. We rely and build on the commitment and sacrifice of those who came before us, those around us and those to come.
There is more that unifies us than what distinguishes us from each other.
The artworks were displayed in Museion Bolzano, MSU Zagreb, Haus der Kulturen Berlin and at the Memorial in Erlauf.
