An exhibition at Krakow’s MOCAK Museum of Contemporary Art has come under fire from Jewish groups for displaying a controversial video clip.

Polish filmmaker Artur Zmijewski’s controversial movie ‘Berek’ (‘The Game of Tag’) shows a group of naked males and females chasing each other whilst inside a gas chamber. The film is part of the museum’s ‘Poland - Israel - Germany: The Experience of Auschwitz’ exhibition, which, according to its website, “Demonstrates how contemporary artists from Poland, Israel and Germany interpret events from the past.”

Commenting on the decision to include the piece, President of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder issued a statement this week urging the the museum to “immediately remove it”. The requested noted it, “Brought extraordinary suffering to not only Auschwitz survivors, but to those for whom the Holocaust is not just a historic event, but a permanent warning against the dangers of anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia.”

“Regardless of legality surrounding this shocking piece of sensationalism which is here under the guise of artistic freedom and creation, we ask that there is some degree of sensitivity and good will shown,” continued Lauder.

Efraim Zuroff, Director of Jerusalem’s branch of the Simon Wiesenthal Center (an organisation which aims to, “Confront anti-Semitism, hate and terror and promote human rights and dignity”) has also hit out at the decision, calling it “disgusting”. Speaking on Tuesday, he stated it was “simply incomprehensible” that Poland, a country where millions of Jews and people from many different nations were murdered, would show such a film, reports TVN.

However, MOCAK’s Director Maria Anna Potocka has stressed the museum’s aim is to show the highest amount of respect when dealing with the Holocaust.

“We have released - in three languages - a book entitled ‘Photographer 1940-1945’ which contains an interview with Auschwitz prisoner and photographer Wilhelm Brasse. We are currently putting together a book called ‘Szrajberka’ which interviews Auschwitz prisoner Zofia Posmysz and we are also preparing a film on her,” she said. “We have recorded statements by other inmates such as Joseph Paczynski and Tadeusz Smreczynski and have also produced the book ‘Death is not the Last Word’ (‘Smierc nie ma Ostatniego Slowa’).”

“[Preserving the memory of the Holocaust] is not easy ... and writers, artists and poets are always looking for new ways to raise awareness. It is increasingly difficult. This is why many works relating to this nightmare can be risky and Artur Zmijewski’s work falls into this category. You can accuse it of being cruel to our imagination, but it cannot be accused of showing a lack of respect for the victims.”

newpolandexpress.pl