 Babi Yar BabiYar is a site in Russia with a huge ravine. It is the place where thousands upon thousands of Jews were lined up and shot. Even as one group tumbled into the ground, the next wave was lined up for execution. Afterward the bodies were covered. Attempts at building a memorial at the site of this mass grave were long unsuccessful. Eventually, bowing to pressure from spokesmen for the Jewish community, a memorial was finally erected. The words, however, memorialize the Russians killed in World War ll and neglect to mention that most were killed simply for being Jews. This sculpture is the artist's memorial to Babi Yar. On the top is a minyan (a prayer group of ten), with the center figure holding a memorial candle. They recite the mourner's Kaddish (prayer), and the figures, long buried, rise from the grave to hear the words and finally have their souls put to rest. The base of this piece is six chimney stacks, in memory of the six million. Description: Terra Cotta
|