Eyewitness to Genocide

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Potion created Eyewitness to Genocide to mimic the urgency of an emergency response center, arming visitors to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum with resources to take action against genocide.

As visitors enter the centerpiece of the museum’s exhibit, they are pulled into action by twenty-five overhead screens sharing eyewitness testimonies. Visitors may then approach the grand-scale wood table that serves as a resource and storytelling platform.

The overhead screens provide an ongoing human soundtrack with each screen corresponding to a person who has experienced genocide. The stories, drawn from the museum’s collection, are not only from survivors, but also perpetrators, activists, and others involved, creating an intricate narrative for visitors.

Press

  • "What Will You Do To Meet The Challenge of Genocide?"

    "The purpose of such interactive elements of a museum installation is clear: each person— here in the United States and all over the world—has a personal responsibility to consider how he or she can take action to prevent future atrocities, future genocides, and future crimes against humanity. A crime against humanity is a crime against everyone."

    Enough Project Blog

Credits

  • Potion
    Graphic & Interactive Design
    Software Development
    A/V Consulting
  • C&G Partners
    Exhibition Design
  • VideoArts
    Video Production
  • Small Design Firm, Inc.
    Contractor

Below the screens, visitors can take their first action towards ending genocide by touching the dynamic interactive table. A sweep of the hand pulls up background information, documents, and photographic evidence bringing visitors face-to-face with the people of Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. Potion designed the table to foster shared experience, allowing up to twelve visitors to open stories at the same time, with even more reading on. To encourage sharing and reflection outside the museum, Potion created an interactive paper bookmark, allowing visitors to save and share their most moving stories via a customized exhibit website.

Below the screens, visitors can take their first action towards ending genocide by touching the dynamic interactive table. A sweep of the hand pulls up background information, documents, and photographic evidence bringing visitors face-to-face with the people of Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. Potion designed the table to foster shared experience, allowing up to twelve visitors to open stories at the same time, with even more reading on. To encourage sharing and reflection outside the museum, Potion created an interactive paper bookmark, allowing visitors to save and share their most moving stories via a customized exhibit website.

Press

  • "What Will You Do To Meet The Challenge of Genocide?"

    "The purpose of such interactive elements of a museum installation is clear: each person— here in the United States and all over the world—has a personal responsibility to consider how he or she can take action to prevent future atrocities, future genocides, and future crimes against humanity. A crime against humanity is a crime against everyone."

    Enough Project Blog

Credits

  • Potion
    Graphic & Interactive Design
    Software Development
    A/V Consulting
  • C&G Partners
    Exhibition Design
  • VideoArts
    Video Production
  • Small Design Firm, Inc.
    Contractor