DORA PROJECT: 25 November 2015

DORA PROJECT (2015-2016)

A cross-generational archiving, participatory and community project that combines contemporary art, WW2 London and early rocket engineering.

DORA PROJECT is pleased to announce its second Commemorative Public Event on Wednesday 25 November 2015 at Goldsmiths, University of London, St James Hatcham, Room G01, starting at 12.30pm.

The event commemorates the 71st anniversary of the most devastating V2 rocket attack on London. On 25 November 1944 at 12.26pm a missile destroyed Woolworths and the Co-op on New Cross Road. 168 people were killed, 123 injured.

Based in London, DORA PROJECT is led by established artist Françoise Dupré in collaboration with Rebecca Snow, a young visual and participatory artist.

The project includes a new installation by Dupré, a postcard project, a series of commemorative public events in South East London and a school project at JFS, a Jewish Comprehensive School in North West London.

DORA PROJECT will conclude with an exhibition at Peckham Platform in April 2016.

DORA PROJECT connects two sites: London and Mittelbau-Dora Nazi Concentration Camp in Central Germany where V2s were assembled by slave labourers in an underground factory (August 1943-April 1945). Amongst them
was Françoise Dupré’ s uncle Robert Berthelot, a French political prisoner. More than 20,000 inmates died in Mittelbau-Dora while between September 1944 and March 1945, V2 attacks on London killed around 2500 Londoners.

After WW2, The German rocket engineers were employed for the development of space and military programmes in USA, France, Russia and Britain. Whilst many Londoners have heard about the V2, few know about its history that connects spaceflight to Nazi Concentration Camps. DORA PROJECT Commemorative Event at St James Hatcham, Goldsmiths includes a display around V2 attacks on London and the story of Dupré’s uncle in Dora concentration camp. On view as well, WW2
archive materials from The Museum Group based on New Cross Road and a short film by Rebecca Snow made in response to her visit to the concentration camp memorial site. Participants will have the opportunity to contribute to DORA POSTCARD PROJECT by writing their testimonies and comments.

To coincide with DORA PROJECT, Deptford Forum Publishing has reprinted Rations & Rubble, Remembering Woolworths. Published in 1994 and edited by Jess Steele, the booklet is a remarkable act of remembrance containing tragic yet immensely brave human stories about the V2 attack on New Cross
Road.

DORA PROJECT is funded by Arts Council England and Birmingham School of Art-BCU, Centre for Fine Art Research. The project is supported in the UK by Goldsmiths University of London, Peckham Platform, JFS. In France by the Commission Dora Ellrich de la Fondation pour la Mémoire de la Déportation; the Association Française Buchenwald Dora et Kommandos; La Coupole, Centre d’Histoire et de Mémoire du Nord – Pas-de-Calais, France.

For more information about DORA PROJECT visit: https://doraproject.wordpress.com

Or contact Françoise Dupré f.dupre@btinternet.com

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