Robert Jan Van Pelt, Chief Curator of the Auschwitz exhibition talks about the relevance of opening a traveling exhibition about the German Nazi concentration camp in a context where everything seems to be a click away.

Simi Valley, Ca.– The “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away” exhibition has traveled extensively since its premiere in Madrid in 2017, with stops in New York, Kansas City, Malmö, and now has just opened in Los Angeles at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. In an age where information is readily accessible with just a few clicks, one may wonder why it is relevant to bring an exhibition about Auschwitz to various locations. Robert Jan Van Pelt, Chief Curator of the Auschwitz exhibition posed this question himself during the initial stages of the project, and revisited this thought during the opening of the exhibition in California:

Robert Jan Van Pelt believes that while the internet provides easy access to information, a traveling exhibition with artifacts offers a unique and relevant experience. The tangible nature, authenticity, curation, and communal aspects of a traveling exhibition can provide a deeper understanding and connection to history, making it a significant and valuable mode of education and remembrance.

Learn more about the exhibition at www.auschwitz.net.

Learn more about the exhibition in Los Angeles at the Reagan Library website.