Dzigan and Shumacher's Escape (1949-2022)

DZIGAN AND SHUMACHER'S ESCAPE (1949)

Found footage reconstructed by the Sala-manca Puppets' Group (2022)
3' 10'', colour, one-channel
Concept, puppetry, camera, and edition: The Sala-manca Puppets' Group (IL/AR)
Puppets: Ayelen Coccoz (AR)
Costumes: Yeshaiahu Rabinowicz

Premiered at the Yiddish Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2022, curated by Maria Veits and Yevgeniy Fiks.

The video is a reconstruction of Dzigan and Shumacher's attempts to escape the labor camp of Aktyubinsk in Soviet Russia performed by puppets manipulated by Sala-manca (who are performing their escape in North-Herzlia)

Shimen Dzigan and Isroel Schumacher’s professional artistic careers began as actors in the experimental Yiddish theatre “Ararat,” in Łódź, which was established in 1927 under the direction of the poet Moyshe Broderzon. After a few years, they left for Warsaw and founded an independent satirical theatre that would play a key role in eastern Europe’s Jewish culture. Their theatre was characterized by sharp humor, witty political satire, and extraordinary acting. During World War II, Dzigan and Shumacher continued their artistic activity in the Soviet Union, and it was there that they were arrested in 1941 and charged with anti-Soviet activities. They spent four years in a labor camp in Kazakhstan. In 1947, Dzigan and Shumacher returned to Poland, and performed there for two years, until they left for a performance tour in Europe. They first performed in Israel in 1950, and acted together until they separated in 1960. Schumacher died in 1961 and Dzigan continued to appear with his satirical theatre in Israel and abroad until 1980. 

Note: The clothing is based on clothes used in a later date by the artists in their performances in Israel referring to their time as prisoners in the Soviet Union