In “Don’t mention the war” (work in progress) Susanne Hakuba investigates the shadows the Third Reich still casts on her native Germany and its people.

In contrast to how Germany has dealt with its recent heritage on a national level the personal and to some extend also the local level has proven to be much more challenging to approach for many Germans - for many there is mostly silence.

It is this silence, which allows the past to still cast its shadows on many German’s lives and which Susanne is attempting to break.

If not processed on an emotional level past events and traumatic experiences are passed on to and have a significant psychological impact on the next generations; a fact which has been discussed in various books and public discourse in recent years in Germany.

By approaching this important topic through art Susanne is aiming to make it accessible to a wider audience.

Starting point for Susanne’s work is shining light into her family’s and hometown’s Third Reich past and investigating how shadows like these have impacted and shaped the identity of her generation of Germans, the grandchildren of the war.

She invites the viewer to join her on this endeavor so that society can move towards a future that doesn’t repeat the darkness of the past not only in the German context but also in others where there has been war, genocides and/or oppression.

W: www.susannehakuba.com  E: susanne@susannehakuba.com M: 0044 7969 523 268