Chim: Between Devastation and Resurrection
Chim: Between Devastation and Resurrection shines a light on the work of one of the most respected photojournalists of his day. Born Dawid Szymin in Warsaw in 1911, Chim, who published under the name David Seymour after World War II, was an astute observer of 20th Century European politics, social life, and culture, from the beginnings of the antifascist struggle to the rebuilding of countries ravaged by World War II. A founder of Magnum photo agency with Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, and George Rodger in 1947, Chim was drawn to the struggle of workers’ rights, countries in transition, and postwar resistance and survival.
This presentation of Chim: Between Devastation and Resurrection will include over 50 photographs, many rarely seen, focusing on the post-war reconstruction of Europe, European elections, the effect of the war on children, and the birth of the new State of Israel.
Chim: Between Devastation and Resurrection is excerpted from We Went Back: Photographs from Europe 1933-1956 by Chim, organized by the International Center of Photography and made possible by the John and Anna Maria Phillips Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts.
Illinois Holocaust Museum’s presentation of Chim: Between Devastation and Resurrection is made possible with generous support from Golder Family Foundation.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.