About the project

This multimedia sculpture, available for exhibit, was created by international artist Werner Klotz. It interprets Aristides de Sousa Mendes’ tortured state of mind as he wrestled with his conscience trying to decide what to do about the thousands of refugees seeking life-saving visas to Portugal in June of 1940. The project, based on an idea by Sebastian Mendes, grandson of Sousa Mendes, includes both historic and artistic videos and original audio recordings by German singer and composer Almut Kühne.

xxxxx

About the artist

Werner Klotz is an internationally active artist working in the fields of installation and public art. His projects include Le Milieu du Monde, a permanent multimedia installation onboard the three new Staten Island Ferries in New York City; Anemone, an interactive kinetic installation permanently on view at the San Francisco International Airport; and Flying Sails, a kinetic light installation at Seattle’s SeaTac airport. Klotz and artist Jim Campbell were commissioned by the City of San Francisco to create a large-scale kinetic light installation at Union Square Station, which will be on permanent installation as of August 2021. The work is 300 feet in length, and consists of 9,500 individual elements. Klotz is the recipient of the New York City Art Commission award for excellence in Public Art and the Marler Medienkunst Preis Raum-Medien, Germany’s most respected Media Art Award.