Sand painting performance artist Kseniya Simonova

This video is of a contestant on Ukraine's version of "You've Got Talent" (I believe she was actually the winner) who uses sand and a light table to create her performance art. With these materials, she (Kseniya Simonova) creates a constantly changing "sand animation". In this particular piece, she recounts Germany conquering Ukraine in WWII. When I watched this video, I noted the reactions of the judges and audience - many people were cheering and crying and emotional in reaction to this work that referenced events from over 60 years ago.

I guess I posted this piece to illustrate that kind of collective memory that groups of people possess. These kinds of groups can be connected in many ways - perhaps by familial bonds, religion, ethnicity, country, or by shared experience - in any instance, there is a shared or collective memory among members of a group. I find the strength and power of that kind of shared memory really fascinating. In the end of the performance she writes "you are always near" and "1945" and the crowd goes wild...

(I will warn you, in the normal TV-talent-show format, it does get a little cheesy with the judges crying, but I think the way this artist works is really amazing - I've never seen anything like it. Enjoy!)