“SUSPENDED LIVES. 1938: UNIVERSITY AND JEWS IN PISA”. AT SANT’ANNA SCHOOL ON NOVEMBER 13, 2019, “SUSPENDED LIVES” BOOK LAUNCH AND IMMERSIVE INSTALLATION EXPERIENCE TELL STORIES OF ACADEMICS AND STUDENTS SUSPENDED FROM UNIVERSITY

Last autumn, the immersive installation and augmented reality journey “San Rossore 1938” through the “Suspended Lives of Jews in Pisa University in 1938”, took place at the Sant’Anna School. On November 13, 2019, the book launch to mark the Pisa “San Rossore 1938” events will take place in Sant’Anna School aula magna at 2.45 pm. The book is edited by Michele Emdin, Barbara Henry and Ilaria Pavan.

The 2019 VR immersive installation through the “Suspended Lives”, is curated by Gianni Lucchesi, Chiara Evangelista, Ursula Ferrara, Massimo Bergamasco, Michele Emdin, and Camilla Tanca.

On 5 September 1938, the Italian government and King Victor Emmanuel III established anti-Jewish laws for the “Defence of the Race”. The shame of antisemitism became an officially sanctioned state ideology and complicit Pisa University expelled twenty Jewish professors and over two hundred students.

On October 18, 2018, an effort to refocus attention on the 80th anniversary of the racial laws has included exhibits, lectures, screenings and various events for the public and for students at Sant’Anna School. As the first decree, implementing Italian Racial Laws was signed in Pisa, academics and students feel obligated to share their experience and tackle antisemitism.

The 2019 book launch and the “Suspended Lives” VR exhibition supported by Sant’Anna School are the focus of an awareness-raising campaign highlighting the responsibility for discrimination, challenging state racisms and racial violence. The gathering intends to encourage understanding among student community and society ensuring that free and open discussion can take place in an atmosphere of tolerance for different viewpoints.

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