Research topic

Live memory: Holocaust memory and the holographic encounter

For those committed to upholding the memory of the Holocaust as a crime against humanity, the ageing of its last survivors is a matter of concern. Once the last victims who are able to provide first-hand accounts of the Holocaust will perish, it is feared that denialism will grow stronger and will be harder to fight. Memorial institutions are preparing themselves for this moment by attempting to document and preserve their stories as fully as possible, and cutting-edge technologies are recruited to face this growing distance between the “there and then” and the “here and now”. As these platforms expand in both numbers and appeal, it becomes crucial to understand their implications.

At the centre of my research lies one of the technologies aimed at preserving Holocaust memory and engaging audiences with it: holographic Holocaust testimonies. These testimonies allow museum audiences to "converse" with audio-visual, seemingly three-dimensional images of actual Holocaust survivors, often referred to as holograms. The installations are part of the USC Shoah Foundations’ Dimensions in Testimony project, and can now be seen in permanent or travelling exhibitions in the US and in Europe. By examining museumgoers’ interaction with them, my aim in this research is to explore what kind of Holocaust memory this technology promotes and how audiences experience interacting with it.

Supervisors: Professor Lilie Chouliaraki and Professor Shani Orgad

Biography

I completed my MA in Communication at Tel-Aviv University, Israel, in 2018. My Masters' thesis examined Israeli youth's photos from Journeys to Poland on social network sites, touching upon questions of national identity and photographic authenticity. First joining the university as an undergraduate, I was part of the Adi Lautman Interdisciplinary Programme for Outstanding Students, which allows students to acquire knowledge in a variety of fields and leads directly to a master's degree.