Thursday, April 11, 2013

Trompe-l'oeil

 
Photo by Sean Gallup / Getty Images

Foreign Policy has an article on a museum exhibit in Berlin, Germany.  The article is by Benjamin Weinthal and covers the story of the Jewish Museum Berlin and its exhibit “The Whole Truth…everything you always wanted to know about Jews.”

This is controversial.

Ilana glazer writes about it, as does Bill Glucroft.  What’s the controversy?  Our culture tells us we are beyond anti-Semitism, yet the reality might be different.

Here is another picture:



Sean Hannity featured a group of conservative men and women on his 4/9/2013 television show.  What was controversial about that show?

You be the judge.

These types of events are newsworthy because they deal with the unexpected.  The viewer in each instance is asked to make an assessment about what he or she is seeing.  Is it necessary?  What’s the reality?  Is there a sinister motive involved?

The unique quality of trompe-l’oeil is that what you see must be assessed.  It cannot be dismissed.

Let’s celebrate the courage of the Jewish Museum Berlin and the “Hannity” show.  Our culture teaches us that the world is settled; that when we see anti-Semitism in the Middle East and elsewhere, we must accept it.

Isn’t it refreshing to see people advocate that we don’t have to accept it?


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