#HALSMANJUMP

Michael Strasser

#HALSMANJUMP is an interactive, participatory art project in the public space that aims to shed light on the eventful life story of the Jewish-Latvian photographer Philippe Halsman and the largely forgotten judicial scandal of 1928–29 in Tyrol. At a time of growing social tensions – between fear, anger, confidence and hope – the project raises questions about visibility, memory and participation.

A photo wall installation with a selfie rack opposite invites passers-by to photograph themselves or each other, drawing inspiration from Halsman’s iconic Jumpology series – an act of physical and emotional transformation. An accompanying website, accessible via a QR code and linked to social media, provides historical context, documents participants’ contributions and thus creates a kind of digital memorial platform. The public space becomes a place for remembering, reflecting on and highlighting both historical and contemporary forms of anti-Semitism and misanthropy.