Commemoration as an act of mourning, of honoring and not forgetting lives lost, and of saying “never again” was a part of my upbringing. Dedication to "we will do better." Born into literal and metaphorical rubble and ashes of post-war Germany, I know what it means to bear the shame and guilt of a people that have perpetrated unimaginable horrors. The Holocaust. More later on how I feel and perceive the connection here to my birth country’s history. But for sure, Remembrance and Commemoration sit deep in my bones.

A year later, I am still painting on the Memorial, alone or with dedicated artist friends. By now hundreds of hours of our hands measuring, drawing lines, spacing & sketching words, calligraphy with brushes in various sizes, three layers of matte dark grey paint. Who would have thought we are still with the mural. But then, how could memorializing ever have an end to it?