Bebelplatz, Berlin		Jewish Museum, Berlin		Budapest

The Berlin exhibitions were more than simply an art installation, they were multi-faceted events that included a live dance-theater piece created by choreographer Sommer Ulrickson to original music by Ari Benjamin Meyers. Ulrickson and Meyers based their work on the 1933 Berlin book-burning itself, which lasted for hours and was attended by an estimated 40,000 people. The Bebelplatz show was on May 10, 1999, the 66th anniversary of the book burning. “Writer’s Block” was shown at the Jewish Museum Berlin in August 1999 as part of the Long Night of the Museums festival.

Under the patronage of former Hungarian President Arpad Goncz, “Writer’s Block” was on display for three weeks in front of the Hungarian National Library in June 2002. This show was particularly relevant to Hungarians because for decades, writers and artists in this country were forced to compromise their creativity or go underground because of official government censors. At the opening, Hungarian authors including the 2002 Nobel Prize winner Imre Kertesz shared their thoughts about the importance of free expression. This show was organized by Anita Semjen, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Cultural Exchange Foundation.