ACFNY Bids Farewell to Ceija Stojka Exhibition in Closing Event
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg signing the guestbook at the closing ceremony.
© Helga Traxler /ACFNY
On September 25, 2023, the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York’s special exhibition “What Should I be Afraid of? Roma Artist Ceija Stojka” welcomed its last visitors. The exhibit was curated by Dr. Lorely French, Carina Kurta and Dr. Stephanie Buhmann in collaboration with the Ceija Stojka International Association.
Comprised of over sixty paintings and drawings culled from collections in Europe and the United States, the installation celebrated the extraordinary art and life of Romani artist, writer, activist, and educator Ceija Stojka, survivor of Auschwitz, Ravensbrück, and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps. A monograph will be published on the occasion of this exhibition.
The year 2023 marks the 90th anniversary of Stojka’s birth and the 10th year since her passing. It also celebrates the 30th anniversary of the recognition of the Roma as an official ethnic group in Austria (1993) after years of activism during which Ceija Stojka stood together with other Austrian Roma to demanding recognition. This year also commemorates fifty years of Austrian International Cultural Diplomacy (Austria Kultur International, 1973).
The closing event of the exhibition took place on September 19 and was hosted by the Austrian Cultural Forum New York in cooperation with the Austrian Consulate General New York. The event began with opening remarks by Director Susanne Keppler-Schlesinger and Consul General Helene Steinhaeusl, followed by a keynote by Alexander Schallenberg, Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs. Finally, the Deputy Commissioner of the Community Relations Bureau at New York City Commission on Human Rights, Kajori Chaudhuri, also addressed the guests.
After the welcome speeches, guests had the chance to join a final guided tour through the exhibition. The evening concluded with a special performance of the musical portrait on Ceija Stojka, “to open myself, to scream,” which was composed by American-Armenian composer Mary Kouyoumdjian. It was commissioned by the NGO Music of Remembrance in 2017. Both Mary Kouyoumdjian and Mina Miller, Founder and Artistic Director of the NGO, were able to attend the event and spoke about their work.
The New York premiere of this musical portrait was performed by a quintet led by Austrian musicians Maximilian Schweiger and Franz Hackl. Their performance was accompanied by a video projection by Kevork Mourad, which was inspired by Stojka’s paintings and strongly amplified and intensified the unique experience.
