eDitorial
We have selected one of the artistic pieces by the author and friend Fernando Sánchez Castillo for the cover of the magazine , not as a rhetorical choice , but with a hint of irony . The image , as the central theme , is interpreted from the present as a piece artistically reproduced , with an unequivocal evocation of past events . This decision concerns us in the cautious interpretation of the dangers posed by current antidemocratic trends . The rise of far-right movements , nostalgic for totalitarian regimes and systems , must also and can fall . We also delve into the magnificent exhibition featuring the piece in a dedicated section of the magazine .
It is interesting that the European Commission incorporates memory programmes into the broader Citizenship , Equality , Rights and Values ( CERV ) programme . This constitutes an expansion of the field of memory studies , a cause that EUROM has long championed . What is termed “ social transfer of knowledge ” at university level finds practical expression in multidisciplinary and multidirectional networks or platforms , engaging citizens in participatory processes that embody values of equality and democratic progress . Hence , from these pages , we aim to shed light on the small yet significant contribution that persistent , transnational , comparative and collaborative efforts at the horizontal level bring to ensure professional diversity and interconnectedness . Such endeavours are vital for constructing societies that are more just and free , devoid of the many forms of violence often orchestrated in offices far removed from the realities of citizens and social justice .
In this year ’ s issue , our focus is on the power of images and audiovisual media as channels for transmitting memory . To explore this theme , we collaborated with philosopher George Didi-Huberman , who cautions against the temptation to freeze images in the eyes of past scholars . He reminds us that images encapsulate time – a time that reflects the perspectives of those photographed , those taking the photograph , and those observing it . Consequently , a revealing dialectical movement emerges . We also sought the expertise of filmmakers Arnaud Sauli and Ania Szczepanska , who candidly share their insights in a sincere conversation . They discuss their respective viewpoints and some of the dilemmas they face when addressing the Holocaust behind the camera , covering motivations , the landscapes of the Shoah and its evocations , the daily lives of people impacted , the narratives conveyed by objects , and the treatment thereof .
On the 50th anniversary of the fateful coup d ’ état by General Augusto Pinochet in Chile and the death of Salvador Allende , we wanted to interview the acclaimed filmmaker Patricio Guzmán . Introduced by the specialist in documentary cinema , Nancy Berthier , Guzmán highlights some key aspects of his work as a film director and the relationship he has established over the years between his films and the memory of the Chilean dictatorship .
In the section dedicated to memory policies in Europe , Professor Jenny Wüstenberg deconstructs the concept of “ democratic memory ” to precisely analyse the types of relationships that can genuinely be established between “ memory ” and “ democracy ”. Meanwhile , historian Olivier Wieviorka underscores the political significance of the memory of the Second World War . Among
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Observing Memories ISSUE 7