Exhibition Boarding
Pass to Paradise

 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 

Travel History

Below are stations of the show in 2005 – 2010:

– Terezin Memorial’s Small Fortress (May-October 2005)
– Deèin Synagogue (March-April 2006)
– Prague Manes Gallery/Diamant Gallery (June-August 2006)
– Ostrava Dùl Michal Gallery (September-November 2006)
– Liberec Severoceske Museum (December 2006-January 2007)
– Vienna Danube Ship Landing Station Reichsbrucke (May-July 2008)
– Ein Harod Art Museum, Israel (January- April 2009)
– Ghetto Fighters’ Museum, Israel (June 2009-November 2010)

Now we invite our visitor to make a virtual travel to all these venues. Happy journey!

 

 


 

 

1. Terezin Memorial, Small Fortress

The exhibit in Terezin was fascinating.
The show was included in the Terezin Memorial tour, and in half-year from May to December 2005, it was visited by over 30,000 people; it evoked a great response and high evaluation in the media. Encouraged by this, the team worked hard towards continuation.

 
    Exhibit place: Small Fortress, 4th Yard
Elena Makarova: opening speech
 
Back-side of Atlantic with sculptures and photos from Mauritius
 
Installation of art exhibition on Mauritius and marionette Pianist made by Fritz Haendel
 
Atlantic from both sides
 
Public in 1st hall
 
2nd hall: The Cloud Catcher, film about Peretz Beda Mayer
 
Video installation: films about Peretz Beda Mayer, Fritz Haendel, Atlantic and Mauritius
 
Panels: Cartoons from Mauritius
 

Atlantic board: start of installation

 

Yariv Dahan

 

Leo Kramar, Peretz Beda Mayer’s nephew, near Beda’s Self-Portrait

 
Opening: Par and Monalise Stenberg, Elena Makarova


Czech catalogue cover

 

Designer Georg Schrom and workers
 
Maria Makarova
 
Elena and Sergei Makarov, Martin Melmuka
 
Atlantic board: installation continues
 
Elena Makarov and Mroslav Vesely
 
Lena, Efim Haim Kuchuk and Shlomo Haendel, son of Fritz Haendel
 
Efim Haim Kuchuk. The picture is fixed!


 

 

2. Deèin Synagogue

The show in the Decin synagogue was opened in March 2006 and lasted till mid-May. A very special interior of the place called upon a series of original design decisions.

 


 


 


 


 


   


 



 


3. Prague Manes Gallery/Diamant Gallery

The more significant event, however, took place in central Prague in July 11 – August 27, 2006 . The exhibit was presented in two places simultaneously. The Mauritius story with Fritz/Beda’s graphics was told at the Manes-Diamant gallery in Spalena street 4), whereas the major corpus of Mayer’s painting was displayed at Adam Hoffmeister Millenium gallery, Trziste Street 5.
On the 11th of July, the show was opened at Manes-Diamant gallery by the curator/director of the exhibit Elena Makarova; the honorable guests included the Israeli Ambassador, the Mayor of Prague 1, the Chairman of the Manes Society, friends and journalists.
In her speech Elena Makarova thanked producer Tomas Hlavacek and his assistant Zuzana Pospichalova, designer Georg Schrom, designer assistant Maria Makarova, the Israeli Embassy in Prague and other sponsors and contributors of the project.
His Excellency Mr. Arie Arazi emphasized the importance of the project for Israeli-Czech cultural cooperation.
Mr. Leo Kramar ( Sweden ) paid tribute to the organizers and guests, and shared his memories about his uncle, Peretz Beda Mayer.

Among the sponsors and contributors, along with the Israeli Embassy, were Par Stenberg ( Sweden ), Municipality Praha 1, Ustek Synagogue and Cemetery Society, Prague Jewish Museum, Salans Co., T-Systems Company, and others.

 






 
 
 
 
 
 


 

 

4. Ostrava Dul Michal Gallery

The next station of the voyage is Ostrava. The former Michal mine building is a unique exposition space, enabling an extravagant installation. And so it was: the ship’s skeleton, on whose ribs the display elements were arranged. The display lasted from 7 to 30.10 .2006.

 
   
Leo Kramar
 
Leaflet of the Ostrava Show
 
Exhibit Fragment 1
 
Exhibit Fragment 2
 
Exhibit Fragment 3
 
Exhibit Fragment 4
 
Exhibit Fragment 5
 
Exhibit Fragment 6
 
Exhibit Fragment 7


 

 

5. Liberec Severoceske Museum

Born in 1910 in Vienna, Fritz Haendel nonetheless considered his native town to be Reichenberg (now Liberec). Alfred Deutsch, his grandfather from mother’s side, came to Reichenberg as early as 1875. The family ran a shipping business and was well-off. His parents were buried at the local Jewish cemetery. Fritz’s mother Marianne married his father Samuel in Vienna, but Fritz was brought to Reichenberg as a child and the family resided there over 20 years.

Today Liberec is a significant cultural center of Northern Bohemia . The exposition was shown from February 7 to April 1, 2007 and received good responses from public and media.

 
   
Severoceske Museum
 
Entrance to exposition halls
 
Opening panel
 
Exhibit’s view 1
 
Exhibit’s view 2
 
Exhibit’s view 3
 
Exhibit’s view 4
 
Exhibit’s view 5
 
Elena Makarova pays tribute to Fritz Haendel’s ancestors


 

 

6. Vienna Danube Ship Landing Station Reichsbrucke

In Vienna the exhibit opened May 15, 2008 marking the 60th Anniversary of the State of Israel. The venue was most spectacular: the Danube Ship Landing Station Reichsbrucke. Just from here, on the 4th of September 1940, the river-steamer Helios set course to take, together with two other steamers, 3,500 Jewish refugees to Palestine. Beda Mayer and Fritz Haendel were among the passengers, but soon turned to ‘artistic reporters’ of the perilous journey. To Beda, it took four and a half years to reach the destination, while Fritz never made it: he committed suicide in January 1945, a few months prior to the detainees’ return to the Holy Land. The exhibit, built into a grandiose ship installation at the Danube quay (see the photos), was shown until mid-July, then it traveled home to Israel.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

 

7. Ein Harod Art Museum, Israel (January-April 2009)

On January 17, 2009, the exhibit opened at Israeli Ein Harod Art Museum (http://www.museumeinharod.org.il/english/) where it stayed until April, 15. The photos give a short glimpse at this display, massively visited by Israeli public.

 
 
Curator Elena Makarova at the opening of Ein Harod Exhibit Boarding Pass to Paradise, January 17, 2009
 
General view
 
General view with curator assistant Maria Makarova on the foreground
 
Shlomo Hendel, Fritz Hendel’s son, with his son at the opening
 
The Mauritius Saga
 
Photographs from Mauritius detention camp; some visitors recognized themselves!
 
Another aspect of the Installation
 

Discussion moment

Detail of the Installation
 
Maria’s invention: Installation with TV-sets showing 6 different documentaries about ‘Mauritius Aliya’ and Elena Makarova’s research
 
After-opening Show: Clown Fyodor Makarov featuring as Little Red Riding Hood
 
Inbuilt exposition of Fritz Hendel’s wooden sculpture
 
Beda’s Accordion Player, together with his friends jesters and other items, made a 4-years journey: to Europe, back to Israel and to Ein Harod!
Next place: Ghetto Fighters’ Museum (Lohamei HaGetaot)

 
The hall was packed


 

 

8. Ghetto Fighters’ Museum (Lohamei HaGetaot) http://www.gfh.org.il/eng/

From June 2009 to November 2010 the exhibit is on display in this museum near Acre, one of the most innovative and brilliantly designed museums in Israel. The first unofficial opening was timed to a conference of ex-Mauritius Refugees’ Society in Israel.

 
   
Beda's -art -section
 
Public is arriving
 
Installation on detaines' art exhibit 1943
 
Fritz cartoons
 
Original installation for films
 
A scene at the exhibit
 
A scene at the exhibit
 
Beda's film on big screen
 
A scene at the exhibit
 
Explanations are given to Mauritius Consul in Israel (on left)
 
Exchange of opinions


 


 
 

      Boarding Pass to Paradise. Artists Peretz Beda Mayer and Fritz Haendel.  © Elena Makarova, 2005. For Contacts: Elena Makarova