The Moose on the Ice

The Moose on the Ice

The Moose on the Ice is an ongoing research project since 2004 exploring family mythology and historical facts between Lithuania, Poland and Germany.

The Moose on the Ice

The Moose on the Ice is an ongoing research project since 2004 exploring family mythology and historical facts between Lithuania, Poland and Germany.

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Powidoki / Posłowia | publication

The publication “Afterwords/ Afterimages” is a summing of two exhibitions of artists Wladyslaw Klamerus and Stefka Ammon followed by a panel at Studio Galeria Warsaw in 2013 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Powidoki / Posłowia | publication

The publication “Afterwords/ Afterimages” is a summing of two exhibitions of artists Wladyslaw Klamerus and Stefka Ammon followed by a panel at Studio Galeria Warsaw in 2013 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

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Double Bind | Podwójne wiązanie

For Ammon the experience of „Double Bind“ ist the symbolic confrontation with the painful and difficult knowledge about her grandfather’s past. He worked until 1941 as translator for the German minority in Lithuania and was relocated in occupied Poland.  

Double Bind | Podwójne wiązanie

For Ammon the experience of „Double Bind“ ist the symbolic confrontation with the painful and difficult knowledge about her grandfather’s past. He worked until 1941 as translator for the German minority in Lithuania and was relocated in occupied Poland.  

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Ernestine

Found footage of my grandfather’s estate. Series of 52 digitised slides, which Reinhold took of his wife, my grandmother Ernestine between 1970 and 1985. A staging of fundamental forlornness, which has been a substantial aspect of their attitude to life.

Ernestine

Found footage of my grandfather’s estate. Series of 52 digitised slides, which Reinhold took of his wife, my grandmother Ernestine between 1970 and 1985. A staging of fundamental forlornness, which has been a substantial aspect of their attitude to life.

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On my Mother´s Side

Triptych – My grandparents on my mother’s side originally came from Upper Silesia (today Poland). Their children where born between 1941 and 1959. Today all of them own their own house which is very important for them and their self-image.

On my Mother´s Side

Triptych – My grandparents on my mother’s side originally came from Upper Silesia (today Poland). Their children where born between 1941 and 1959. Today all of them own their own house which is very important for them and their self-image.

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Where ever you look

Presentation of the 2007 status of the entire travel-research-project The moose on the ice (2004-2007), part of the exhibition “Wo man hinschaut”. At the project space Stedefreund drawings, photographies, video-, audio- and text works, and the installation “Moose” were shown.

Where ever you look

Presentation of the 2007 status of the entire travel-research-project The moose on the ice (2004-2007), part of the exhibition “Wo man hinschaut”. At the project space Stedefreund drawings, photographies, video-, audio- and text works, and the installation “Moose” were shown.

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The Samovar | video

In my family a samovar plays a significant role: it was a wedding gift by my great-grandparents to their son Oskar and his wife Edith in the 1920s. On their ride to the celebration they forgot it in the train.

The Samovar | video

In my family a samovar plays a significant role: it was a wedding gift by my great-grandparents to their son Oskar and his wife Edith in the 1920s. On their ride to the celebration they forgot it in the train.

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Part III – Neutral Zone | photo

  Email by Dr. Ley, Memorial Site of Konzentrationslager Sachsenhausen, May 2006: Dear Ms Ammon, (…) I can well imagine that it must be quite difficult to learn that a member of one’s own family was a concentration camp guard.

Part III – Neutral Zone | photo

  Email by Dr. Ley, Memorial Site of Konzentrationslager Sachsenhausen, May 2006: Dear Ms Ammon, (…) I can well imagine that it must be quite difficult to learn that a member of one’s own family was a concentration camp guard.

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Part III – Neutral Zone | video

Video, silent. The camera moves along the “Neutral Zone”, the guard way between electric fence and the outer wall of KZ Sachsenhausen. My grandfather’s brother patrolled there, too. No one in the family wanted to have known about this.  

Part III – Neutral Zone | video

Video, silent. The camera moves along the “Neutral Zone”, the guard way between electric fence and the outer wall of KZ Sachsenhausen. My grandfather’s brother patrolled there, too. No one in the family wanted to have known about this.  

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Part II – Second Travel

I learned that my uncle has disappeared from Vilnius since July 2000. At that time he met two German tourists. He decided to ride back to Germany with them in their vehicle. He has never shown up anywhere until today. 

Part II – Second Travel

I learned that my uncle has disappeared from Vilnius since July 2000. At that time he met two German tourists. He decided to ride back to Germany with them in their vehicle. He has never shown up anywhere until today. 

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Part II – Missing

At the end of my trip I had planned to look up my father’s older brother, Georg Ammon, born 1932 in Kaunas, who left everything behind in Germany and moved back to Lithuania in 1993. He had followed his projection.

Part II – Missing

At the end of my trip I had planned to look up my father’s older brother, Georg Ammon, born 1932 in Kaunas, who left everything behind in Germany and moved back to Lithuania in 1993. He had followed his projection.

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Part III – The Conversation

New Jersey. Talking with my grandfather’s in law while looking at old photographs. For the first time he mentions that my grandfather’s brother has been a member of the Waffen-SS. He still remembers unexpected details. I recorded our dialogue.  

Part III – The Conversation

New Jersey. Talking with my grandfather’s in law while looking at old photographs. For the first time he mentions that my grandfather’s brother has been a member of the Waffen-SS. He still remembers unexpected details. I recorded our dialogue.  

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Part II – Stalking Moose

Video: searching for a moose in Lithuania. At the Curonian Lagoon with Vytautas Bliudzius and in the National Park of Nemunas Delta (Regioninis Parkas Nemuno Deltos) with forester Arunas Miklovis we are roaming the landsape stalking moose for a day.

Part II – Stalking Moose

Video: searching for a moose in Lithuania. At the Curonian Lagoon with Vytautas Bliudzius and in the National Park of Nemunas Delta (Regioninis Parkas Nemuno Deltos) with forester Arunas Miklovis we are roaming the landsape stalking moose for a day.

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Part II – First Travel

In January 2005 I travelled to locations in Poland and Lithuania where my family had lived before and during WWII. I located places from photographies, talked to contemporary witnesses and historians and searched archives in Ostrołęka, Łodz, Kaunas und Gelgaudiškis.

Part II – First Travel

In January 2005 I travelled to locations in Poland and Lithuania where my family had lived before and during WWII. I located places from photographies, talked to contemporary witnesses and historians and searched archives in Ostrołęka, Łodz, Kaunas und Gelgaudiškis.

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Part I – Relatives

  Before my trip I interviewed all my relatives (three generations) about their memories, ideas and projections of/onto Lithuania. Audio: Conversation with relatives who were born in Lithuania. I tell them that I’m going to Lithuania and that my grandfather

Part I – Relatives

  Before my trip I interviewed all my relatives (three generations) about their memories, ideas and projections of/onto Lithuania. Audio: Conversation with relatives who were born in Lithuania. I tell them that I’m going to Lithuania and that my grandfather

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Part I – The Moose on the Ice

In my family projections play an important role. My father’s and my mother’s side stranded in West-Germany. I grew up surrounded by dialects, stories and places that didn’t appear elsewhere. I am looking into these present projections onto the past.

Part I – The Moose on the Ice

In my family projections play an important role. My father’s and my mother’s side stranded in West-Germany. I grew up surrounded by dialects, stories and places that didn’t appear elsewhere. I am looking into these present projections onto the past.

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Part I – Diorama

I shot these self- and moose portraits in Berlin’s Museum of Natural History. The diorama with moose depicts a typical river-mouth landscape, like the Nemunas in Lithuania, where my grandparents went on vacation in the 1920s when they were young.

Part I – Diorama

I shot these self- and moose portraits in Berlin’s Museum of Natural History. The diorama with moose depicts a typical river-mouth landscape, like the Nemunas in Lithuania, where my grandparents went on vacation in the 1920s when they were young.

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Germans are good

Based on Lewis Caroll’s “Game of Logic” this work consists of three blackboards. Declinations of various relations with German history are written on them. Being a foreigner in the US made me think about German past’s effect on the present.

Germans are good

Based on Lewis Caroll’s “Game of Logic” this work consists of three blackboards. Declinations of various relations with German history are written on them. Being a foreigner in the US made me think about German past’s effect on the present.

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