On Witnessing, the Responsibility of Transmitting, and the Healing Powers of Creativity. An Interview with the Jewish-Argentine Artist Mirta Kupferminc

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this interview, the artist and second-generation Holocaust survivor, Mirta Kupferminc, reflects on art as an expression of life stories which are infused by experiences of previous generations. She expands on central themes of her oeuvre: including memory, the responsibility of transmitting, and the role of the witness, not only of past injustices but also of present ones. She talks about her recent pieces on migration and the pandemic. Mostly, however, Kupferminc focuses on her newest project, the artist’s book ‘The Dybbuk as an Incarnation of Memory’ which traces the murder of her maternal grandparents in Hungary during WWII. Kupferminc gives unique insights into the process of creating this very personal piece. As usual, her art raises ethical questions, such as the responsibility of the witness at an individual and collective level, while also aiming at repair across generations and the victim-perpetrator spectrum.