The commemorative work of art “Solidarity” was created by the German artist Bettina Rave in honor of Kurt Bigler
- Solidarity – commemorating Kurt Bigler – Bettina Rave, 2008. Acrylic on Shirting. Nine parts each 40 x 40 centimeters.
The nine Hebrew letter plaques of Bettina Rave’s work spell “Solidariut” (Solidarity) in Hebrew, a word which had great meaning for Dr. Kurt Bigler in his educational and political work as well as in his daily life. The handwritten German letters are taken from a text of Dr. Bigler’s, written at the age of 16 and spell the word “Mitgefühl” (compassion). Bringing together these two words in Hebrew and German represents a form of homage to Kurt Bigler, for whom words – particularly these words -- were very important. Each Prize recipient in the coming years will receive one of these plaques, connecting each of them with the memory of Kurt Bigler and with each other.
The artist Bettina Rave lives in Berlin and was connected with Kurt Bigler from an early age on. She studied at the College of Arts (Hochschule der Künste) in Berlin and the Rhode Island School of Design and is the recipient of many awards and fellowships. She is known for her ability to bring together sensitive painting with conceptional art (www.bettinarave.de).