Jeltje Hoogenkamp "Lines of Memory: The Camp and the Thinking Heart"

The Etty Hillesum House presents a special exhibition bringing together art and reflection on the Shoah. In Lines of Memory: The Camp and the Thinking Heart, selected works are shown from the series Far Away, Close to by artist Jeltje Hoogenkamp.

The series consists of 50 works, created on the basis of photographs of Auschwitz from an educational project of Scholengemeenschap Lek & Linge in Culemborg. For this exhibition, a selection was made of artworks that seek the connection between the physical camp and the moral and philosophical dimensions articulated by Etty Hillesum in her writings.

With paint, ink, stencils and pencil, Hoogenkamp has transformed the original images into abstract artworks, in which historical and personal layers merge. The abstract forms and gray tones evoke a sense of mist and snow, giving way to an introspective space from the physical images of Auschwitz.

The title of the exhibition reflects this tension. By connecting "The Camp" with "The Thinking Heart," the exhibition refers to Hillesum's courageous, reflective stance amid the horrors of the Shoah. This exhibition invites contemplation and remembrance, with the abstraction in Hoogenkamp's work offering a new perspective on processing collective historical trauma. The art functions not as literal representation, but as an invitation to introspection and ethical dialogue.

Visitors are invited to delve into the layered meaning of memory and resilience, with Lines of Memory creating a space for reflection on the moral urgency of Hillesum's thought in our time.