Protest Art: Wafaa Bilal's "Domestic Tension" (Iraq war protest piece)

[Entity]

I heard an interview with Wafaa Bilal earlier today on the radio. Apparently he's been working on an art installation since the 4th of May where he lives in a small space with an internet-controlled paintball gun pointing at him. Ostensibly this is to demonstrate the dangers that Iraqis face on a daily basis, and over 60,000 shots have been fired by the gun since he started the project.

Over the interview he sounded a bit frazzled, maybe slightly nuts, but it was interesting to listen to nonetheless. I don't really have much commentary on art as protest, since most of my experience with protest art is more in the form of literature -- Richard Wright, etc., -- but thought the exhibit itself might be an interesting discussion point.

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Iraqi artist Wafaa Bilal, who has been living in self-imposed exile within the confines of FLATFILEgalleries, Chicago, will leave the gallery for the first time in 30 days on Monday, June 4, at 5pm.

Bilal, who created the virtual paintball piece to illustrate the continual danger facing citizens in Iraq, has not left the gallery since May 4th. The installation, titled DOMESTIC TENSION, is being hailed as one of the strongest anti-Iraq-war statements to date, and is being followed in over 130 countries around the globe. Its site has received 80,000,000 hits, and 60,000 paintballs have been shot. It has polarized the community, bringing together protective groups like the VIRTUAL human shield, who take turns aiming the gun away from Bilal around the clock.

After Bilal leaves the space, the web-cam will remain on the tattered remnants of the empty room until the 16th of June. Although the installation will remain after Bilal.s departure, the gun will be silent as a memorial to all those who have lost their lives in the War in Iraq.

On the16th of June, there will be a panel discussion at 3:00pm. Bilal and others involved in the project will be present to discuss the project and its implications, as well as the documentary film and book that will follow due to the overwhelming reaction to the piece. The public is invited to a party after the discussion, in celebration of the piece and to assist Bilal and the gallery with clean-up and rehab of the room.

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Apparently he wanted to name it "Shoot an Iraqi," but the gallery rejected that name.

http://wafaabilal.com/ for those who are interested.

Rob

[ThaSaltCracka]

[censored], I tried to shoot him.

[Hoi Polloi]

I checked this out a couple of weeks ago through a link on a political blog I read. I think it is a thought provoking work. I think he is getting more than he bargained for in terms of stress, etc. But then how could it have been otherwise?

I did not take a shot, fwiw.