Cologne artist Willy Fick (1893 – 1967) created symbolic paintings during the dark rise of Nazism -   works that gave voice to feelings the Nazis wished suppressed. Fick’s visual metaphors explored desperation, dehumanization, victimization, randomness and isolation. Incredibly, in spite of the Nazis, fire and bombing, the works remain as photographic witness, opening a dialogue about the role the arts play in society. The archival photographs and a number of original works were discovered in an old shed in Fick’s backyard by his great-grandniece in 1967. These works are now permanently housed in the Fick-Eggert Collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario, a donation from the family.  

Exhibition curator and Fick’s grandniece, Angelika Littlefield, worked with nine Toronto Holocaust survivors and nine young people, diverse in age and culture, to create contemporary responses to feature in The Art of Dissent as signage and original art. The exhibition features 12 archival photographs and six of Fick’s original works.  Works by 9 student artists are also part of the exhibition.  Also recommended for students grades 7+. 

Lonsdale Gallery Hours:  Wednesday to Sunday  12 Noon - 5 pm To schedule school fieldtrips or group visits, call Hannah at 416.635.2883 x 5153 or email: hschwartz@uajfed.org

Co-sponsored by: Joseph Gottdenker, in memory of the members of the Gottdenker adn Zuckerbrot families, who perished during the Holocaust and those who miraculously survivred but have sinced passed away.