We had a great honor to join an international art- project “Celan. Letters from Kyiv 2020” as a Global VR Partner. The project honored the memory of Paul Celan a German-language poet and translator born in a Jewish family. Celan’s most famous work, The Fugue of Death, was performed in the Bundestag on the 50th anniversary of Crystal Night. Paul Celan stayed in Kyiv in the Summer of 1944 after the occupation of Chernivtsi by the Soviet Army. His letter from Kyiv to Erich Eingorn was dated July 1, 1944. The letters tell about the tragic events in Chernivtsi, in the poet’s homeland, during the Second World War – the death of his parents and relatives in German concentration camps.
Original exhibition supposed to be opened in the central Kyiv on Andriivsky Uzviz, but due to the COVID-19 lockdown, it became impossible for visitors to experience it in person. The project organizers “Kind Heart Kyiv” NGO reached ProdIntelligence with a request to create a virtual reality copy of the installation that allows people from over the world to honor the memory of the poet and Holocaust victims.
The VR installation represents the exact spot of Kyiv – at the top of Andriivsky Uzviz. Celan’s words are placed on the transparent pieces of papyrus that are floating in the air like a vision or ghosts. Every time the visitor comes closer to the piece he/she can hear famous artists reading Celan’s texts.
You can visit the VR installation here.
The project was presented on June 30th at the national UkrInform press-conference (hosted online), with the support of the great speakers:
Jacob Dov Bleich – Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and Ukraine; Gennady Gutgarts – artist, art director of the project; Maksym Polyakov – public figure; Marc Sagnol – French poet, literary critic, and diplomat; Alex Lesyk – Co-founder, Prodintelligence, Andriy Sydorenko – Data Scientist, Prodintelligence.
ProdIntelligence team would like to thank the UA Jewish community and “Kind Heart Kyiv” NGO for the invitation and the incredible creative collaboration.
