Genk-(Brussels Morning) – Sylvin Rubinstein a brave dancer in WWII escaped the Warsaw ghetto aided by German Major Kurt Werner. After the war he honored his sister by dressing as a woman fighting Nazis in secret missions. His story inspires courage and resistance
The exhibition at the new arts center in Genk comes with a booklet that tells all the characters’ stories in a way that everyone can understand. It even has a list of hard words explained. The artistic director Koi Persyn wants the exhibition to be enjoyed by many different groups like LGBTQ+ groups and the Polish community in Belgium. They aim to introduce a wide range of people to modern art. The arts center is named Jester like a court jester who brings a fresh perspective to things
Impossible Songs: Celebrating Diversity and Resistance Through Accessible Art
Sylvin Rubenstein was a dancer who along with his twin sister Maria danced in many places like Europe New York and Australia. In World War II he ran away from a place called the Warsaw ghetto and got help from a surprising person a German major named Kurt Werner. Rubenstein helped hide kids and even did a bold thing by throwing a grenade at German soldiers during a dance show.
After the war he kept on dancing. His twin sister and mom were killed by the Nazis. To honor his sister he sometimes dressed as a woman. He was fighting the Nazis in secret missions while dressed as a woman. He passed away in 2011 in Hamburg.
Mikotaj Sobczak made an exhibition called “Impossible songs” at a new arts center in Genk. He used wooden panels with cut-out figures and painted them with oil paint and old photos. The scenes look like old cabaret posters and show people who resisted oppressors like Sylvin Rubenstein. There’s a video of an opera he made too. It’s all about fighting against persecution of Jewish and LGBTQ+ people. Sobczak who comes from Poland wants to show that artists can shape how we see the world and that everyone including minorities should be respected and celebrated.
