In her photographic project Traces, Weronika Gęsicka appropriates American stock photographs from the ’50s and ’60s, modifying their features and transforming the effects from wholesome to uncanny,...Show moreIn her photographic project Traces, Weronika Gęsicka appropriates American stock photographs from the ’50s and ’60s, modifying their features and transforming the effects from wholesome to uncanny, with the aim of cracking false memories of the past that reinforce oppressive ideals and stereotypes to this day. In Traces, one is confronted with weird and unsettling individuals, a result of digital modification and the incorporation of different strategies that could be considered iconoclastic. This thesis will examine the artwork with respect to the topic of iconoclasm and the condemnation of memory, identifying nuanced, contemporary forms of iconoclastic tactics that reach beyond the traditional. Specifically, this research illustrates how Gęsicka utilizes uncanniness to evoke psychoanalytical processes in the viewer and how she employs the concept of cutting as a destabilizing tool.Show less
When the Second World War ended, the European continent was devastated. Displaced persons (DPs) were scattered all over Europe. There were children among the DPs. They had survived the...Show moreWhen the Second World War ended, the European continent was devastated. Displaced persons (DPs) were scattered all over Europe. There were children among the DPs. They had survived the concentration camps, but often they had no place or family to return to. The European continent was not able to take care of all the DPs as the countries needed to rebuild themselves. The DPs needed to be relocated. An obvious choice would have been Ireland [neutral and undamaged by the war] but Ireland had strict immigration policy, in particularly towards Jewish people. This research aims to explain the attitude of the Irish government towards Jewish DP children and the relationship between media, claim makers and policymakers with regard to policymaking. The story of Dr. W.R.F. Collis is used as a case study. This research is based on a wide range of sources (including policy documents, interviews, autobiographies and newspaper articles).Show less
