Dante’s Hell: Arbeit Macht (nicht) Frei – 51000 IMI
The work was selected for the final year exhibition of the students and Professor of the Accademia Cignaroli in Verona. My work represents the 51,000 Italian Military Internees (IMI) who died in the Nazi Lagers after the Italian Armistice of the 8th September 1943. Among them there was Dante, my grandmother’s brother. We just celebrated the 80th anniversary since the Armistice. Eight years have passed by since the start of what happened to more than 700,000 Italian soldiers who were brave enough to say no to fascism, every day, till the end of WW2.
L’Inferno di Dante: Arbeit Macht (nicht) Frei – 51000 IMI
The work is made of exactly 50,999 blue dots and 1 red dot. Each dot represent a single soldier, with the red dot representing my great-uncle.
I was awarded for this work with a special price for the research behind the work.
Annalisa Mercuri 