For the upcoming multimedia project Requiem 2021, which honors the memory of 9/11 terrorist attack victims in New York, Czech artist Alex Dowis has chosen the 20-year-old heroic story of a young man Welles Remy Crowther who risked his life to save at least 10 others from the South Tower of the World Trade Center before perishing himself during the tragedy.
The program was created at the initiative of Miroslav Konvalina, Director of the Czech Center New York. The theme was chosen by Anna Eva Kotyza, the director of two memorial evenings at the Bohemian National Hall. For his painting with light in virtual reality (VR), Dowis added his own typical emotional touch to the story. Dowis, who was originally supposed to paint for the entire requiem by composer Juraj Filas in New York live, will not be at the Czech Center in Manhattan due to COVID travel restrictions that are still in place, which is why he chose a VR format.
Alex Dowis made headlines this time last year when he drew the fall of the Twin Towers in New York live in front of millions of TV viewers on America's Got Talent in Los Angeles, paying homage to the rescuers and firefighters who risked their lives on the scene. The artist now revisits the topic, this time on a more personal level. He tells the story of Welles Remy Crowther, a young equities trader and volunteer firefighter, to whom more than ten people from the World Trade Center owe their lives. More than half of them were above the crash site and survived when the plane struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center. At that time, Crowther had to leave his mother a voicemail saying that he was fine. But after selflessly risking his life to save others, he did not make it out alive. It was only after the tragedy that his mother read survivor stories that mentioned a man with a red bandana over his mouth. When she sent these survivors photos of her son, they instantly recognized him.
This heroic story, like many others like it, should not be forgotten. Crowther’s story has been told many times both on screen and in writing. Now for the first time ever, he's depicted in a strong, emotionally charged light painting by Alex Dowis in virtual reality. “These are very painful memories, but they're also a symbol of unwavering human faith. It's about a strong determination and desire to live. It's death and birth in one," said the artist on his work.
Like other Czech artists who've contributed to two memorial evenings in New York, Alex Dowis's VR show draws on Filas's powerful requiem. In addition to Dowis's VR piece, invited guests of the Czech Center and Czech diplomatic missions in New York will also enjoy VR exhibitions of our other artists, Markéta Gebrian and Anna Eva Kotyzová, each set to the same music and featuring the same theme. The project is not only a tribute to the 9/11 victims in New York, but also to the victims of terrorism worldwide.
“Requiem 2021” is a multimedia project put on by the Czech Center New York that’s dedicated to the memory of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The program will be projected on the walls of the Grand Ballroom in the Bohemian National Hall to the sound of the Requiem “Oratio Spei” by renowned contemporary composer Juraj Filas. The program will also feature three additional independent VR projects by Markéta Gebrian, Alex Dowis, and Anna Eva Kotyza.
