BLOG VIEW | HEADLINE VIEW

CULTURE

POLITICS

MUSIC

CELEB

Iraqi Invites the Internet to Shoot Him

SUNDAY MAY 27 2007 6:00 PM

Submitted by Subrosa. Edited By erin_broadley.

TAGS: Iraq, Wafaa Bilal, paintball, Duck Hunt

What a nice way to spend a relaxing holiday weekend. A beer by your side, a burger in your belly, a ball game on the tube… and the ability to pump an Iraqi full of paint at your fingertips.

Iraqi born Wafaa Bilal has become known for provocative interactive video installations. Many of Bilal’s projects over the past few years have addressed the dichotomy of the virtual vs. the real. He attempts to keep in mind the relationship of the viewer to the artwork, with one of his main objectives transforming the normally passive experience of viewing art into an active participation. In Domestic Tension, viewers can log onto the internet to contact, or shoot, Bilal with paintball guns.

It’s simultaneously one of the most interesting, entertaining and disturbing performance art pieces I’ve ever seen. For the next week, viewers can log on to Mr. Bilal’s blog, aim the camera attached to a paintball gun at (or away from) Bilal, and squeeze off a few rounds. It’s kind of like Duck Hunt, but with real people. Good times abound, right?

Not exactly. As Bilal explains in this rather sobering Chicago Tribune piece, he began this project as a response to the U.S. military’s practice of firing rockets at Iraqi targets remotely from places within the United States. He argues that this practice desensitizes its participants to the destructive and terrible realities of war and contributes to American apathy towards Iraqi casualties.

Bilal knows of those harsh realities and mounting casualties all too well.

Wafaa Bilal was born in Iraq on June 10, 1966. Because a member of his family had been accused of disloyalty to his country, Wafaa was denied the opportunity to pursue his dream of being an artist. Instead, he was to attend college to major in geography. While in college, he continued to pursue his art and was arrested and tortured for his political art work against Sadaam Hussein. Shortly after the Gulf War, Wafaa was inspired by President Bush’s message to the Iraqi citizens that if they attempted to overthrow Sadaam, the US would stand behind them. He became involved in organizing opposition to the government and was scheduled for arrest and execution when he escaped into Kuwait. There he was accused of being a spy and was close to being shot when his student ID convinced them he told the truth. Wafaa was sent to a refugee camp on the Kuwaiti border.
[…]
In 1992, Wafaa came to the United States and took classes to learn English… Two months ago, his 21 year old brother who was staunchly apolitical lost his life to stray American gunfire. A few weeks ago, he lost his father whose health deteriorated after the death of his youngest son. It has been 14 years since he was last able to see his mother and younger siblings. He speaks to them on the phone to hear how they flee from one war torn city to another in an effort to find safety.

Living under constant fire has clearly taken its toll on Bilal, who seemed a bit frazzled but confident in his day one video blog...

...22 days later, he’s on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Bilal speaks of “the gun” ruling his life. It’s hanging over him like the Sword of Damocles and he is paying a steep psychological price for every round. It’s enough to make me feel a bit sheepish about the two or three shots I took at him initially and downright terrible for the millions of Iraqi citizens who live under a much more fatal and permanent threat. In that sense, Bilal’s work here is (pardon the term) right on target.

Perhaps Subrosa will stick to Duck Hunt.

159 Comments

PAGE:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

... 11

Skywisdom

Portland, OR

December 2005

MAY 27, 2007 06:12 PM

My worry is that people will not understand his point as well as you did Subrosa. I can imagine how many people are thinking "hehehe, I get to shoot some of them Iraqis!".

Subrosa

San Francisco, CA

July 2004

MAY 27, 2007 06:18 PM

Skywisdom said:
My worry is that people will not understand his point as well as you did Subrosa. I can imagine how many people are thinking "hehehe, I get to shoot some of them Iraqis!".

I think that's part of the point. To test people's initial reactions to the opportunity to be anonymously sadistic.

ash67

Longview, TX

October 2005

MAY 27, 2007 07:33 PM

Subrosa said:
[I think that's part of the point. To test people's initial reactions to the opportunity to be anonymously sadistic.

That's pretty much how I veiw it as well.

traceelement

Australia

March 2005

MAY 27, 2007 08:14 PM

reminds me of that fish in a blender art installation where it was left up to you to turn the blender on or not.

klopnuts

Beaverdam, OH

January 2007

MAY 27, 2007 08:17 PM

Ive been to iraq. people are only shot by soldiers when they are doing something wrong. something like, oh I don't know, trying to kill me! So this gentelman is just trying to stir up anti soldier sentiment. Support our troops, eve the assholes like me.