Eerie, melancholy, mesmerizing; these are just a few words that describe George Segal’s controversial Holocaust Memorial sculpture. 

Here, we are looking at a heap of dead bodies just moments after being taken out of the gas chambers at a concentration camp. One lone survivor looks out, hopeless and distraught. The composition of the bodies appears random but was actually extremely thought out. One of the figures appears in a Christ-like position to remind the viewer of the Jewishness of Jesus. Another holds an apple as a reminder of the original sin of the bible and the connection between the Jewish and Christian faiths and the literature that bonds them. 

This sculpture is located outside of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, so no museum ticket needed. It overlooks one of the best views of the Pacific Ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. Many people find this sculpture to be an intrusion on the view, not wanting an uncanny reminder of our turbulent past sneaking into their vacation photos. The installation is unnerving, to say the least, put down your selfie sticks for a minute, people. In my opinion, the placement is what makes this already breathtaking work even more powerful: wanting the pleasure of nature and being confronted with the pain and anguish of such a horrific event. It is inescapable and meets you head-on.

But haters gonna hate, and the work has been vandalized many times. The sculpture has been victim to graffiti swastikas and splatters of red paint. While most artists would be devastated to see their work so brutally disrespected, Segal does not mind. He views these acts as an important reminder that prejudice is still rampant in our country, and antisemitism didn't end with the war.

Hauntingly beautiful and painfully sad, this piece is worth a visit. If you ever get to see this sculpture in person, feel free to go behind the fence and lie down with the dead bodies. The morbid artist encourages this...but I understand if that's a little too creepy for most.