From Darkness… is a large-scale photography and testimony project based on the photo archive of a family photographer. The project began when the artist accidentally found a war-time photograph taken by her uncle, who was a local photographer for the Dąbrowski County (Tarnow area). The photo is of a group of navy blue policemen feasting under a barn near her family home. This accidental discovery became the impulse for a deeper investigation of the other photographs her uncle left behind.
In her uncle’s home, Guzera found over 100 old negatives from the 50s, 60s and 70s depicting people from the Dąbrowski County. They were portraits of people who, during the war, were witnesses or children of witnesses to what Professor Jan Grabowski has referred to as the act of: “hunting for Jews”.
What stories do these photographs tell, and do these people want their stories told?
Guzera’s search led her to the archives of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Institute in Jerusalem, where through the “Lists of Tesitomony” she learned the names and stories of the murdered inhabitants of Otfinowo and its vicinity. Many of these testimonies are also displayed in conjunction with the portraits and the archival photo of the policemen by the barn.
Grabowski was able to trace the fate of the 277 Jews who hid in the poviat:
239 were killed. 38 Survived. 84 were killed by the German military police after being handed over by the locals. 6 were murdered by peasants. 11 were found and killed by the navy blue police. 82 were turned over by locals, and killed by navy blue policemen. 7 were killed by the German gendarmerie. Locals did not participate. 49 additional people died. Cause unknown.
Opening Hours Stakkato Art Space:28/06 – od 9:30 do 18:30
29/06 – od 11:30 do 17:00
30/06 – od 9:30 do 19:00
1/07 – od 9:30 do 16:00
2/07 – od 14:00 do 19:30
3/07 – od 15:00 do 20:00
4/07 – od 9:30 18:30
5/07 – od 9:30 do 17:00
6/07 – od 9:30 do 18:00
7/07 – od 9:30 do 19:00
8/07 – od 9:30 do 17:00
9 & 10/07 – closed
11/07 – od 09:30 do 18:30
12/07 – od 09:30 do 18:00
13/07 – od 11:30 do 18:30
14/07 – od 09:30 do 19:00
The project was carried out in cooperation with Allianz Kulturstiftung.
This project was selected through the Open Call track, which was made possible thanks to the support of the Jewish Humanitarian Fund.
