Spectators are shooting bullets of praise all over the Center For the Arts as Oreen Cohen's exhibit, "Bulletholes at the Intersection of Dortheenestrasse and Am Kupfergraben," offers an in-depth look at the lasting effects of war.
Cohen received the 2007 Rumsey Scholarship, an award given to the most promising art student, who wishes to broaden his/her artistic horizons through travel, as selected by faculty at UB.
The student set out for East Berlin with an open mind and a sculpture assignment, but when she stumbled upon bullet holes, she was amazed.
"I felt compelled to examine and draw attention to these holes since they became, for me, an inventory of evidence documenting the devastation of the two World Wars," said Cohen.
She was informed that these holes, in an area called Hitler's Pantry, are from the Soviets. Supposedly this is where the Fuhrer kept his weapons.
Cohen's exhibit preserves the bullet holes using three different techniques. The first is a silicone cast of the hole as is. The casts are adorned with color from graffiti and bits of rubble currently on the walls of the buildings.
The second method of preservation is a negative cast where the depth of the hole in the wall is highlighted. The impressive texture and grandeur of the hole is highlighted in this method.
Finally, Cohen created positive casts, which she said are used to project the mass volume that the wall is missing. The combination of these casts, with photographs of the bullet-ridden walls, gives the viewer a feeling of authenticity and offers a lens into what Cohen saw.
For Kevin Charles Kline, an art teacher at UB, the display makes him reflect on object permanence.
"Take a picture, it will last longer. Make a cast, it will last even longer than that," said Kline.
It seems that Cohen has the same mentality about her artwork. She believes that a part of world history and Berlin culture would be lost if these bullet holes were patched over and forgotten.
To the artist's dismay, the people of Berlin were not privy to the presence of the bullet holes. They thought the buildings were simply falling apart.
Now that she has taken casts, there is evidence to support their existence. She feels accomplished knowing she has helped preserve part of the past.
Upon viewing Cohen's artwork, Zoupon Loe, theater tech major said, "(The art) has a story to tell."
Loe admits that when he first entered the gallery, he began observing before actually reading. His original interpretation of the casts was completely different than what was meant by the artist. This discrepancy strengthens the work rather than weakens it.
While in Berlin, Cohen visited the first concentration camp ever built, which was Sachsenhausen. It was an emotional experience for the artist, as she heard stories about her ancestors' time there.
She observed a circular track used for boot testing. People wearing various boots and 50-pound-bags of sand on their backs were forced to walk around the track for days.
For her show, Cohen created her own version of this vicious circle. The track was made from the volume of cast that was missing in the negative representations of the bullet holes. The center of the circle consisted of rubble and cinder to represent what Cohen said was the feeling of walking on (her) ancestor's ashes.
"The circle is connected to the void the world has experienced, as well as a reference to the cyclical nature of war and human torment throughout history," said Cohen.
Cohen would like her viewers to receive a certain message from her work: confront the truth. She passionately believes that people need to remember the past in order to move forward and thinks this will create a more hopeful future.
With many techniques used to replicate and showcase the bullet holes, Cohen's exhibit transports the viewer to another place and time. "Bulletholes" is on display now through Dec. 7, 2007 in the basement of the CFA.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
