PICTURE US
Panorama 4
Wars and conflicts often result in one-sided representation. The speed of the coverage is often at the expense of the finer nuances and the results of violence are easier to visualise than the underlying causes. Furthermore, it is often much easier to start a war if you have a stereotypical idea of your enemy.
ARTWORKS
Mi/me
ADLA ISANOVIC (BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA 2002, VIDEO, 1:40 MIN)
Croatia in 2002, people walking down a street in Dubrovnik, among them the artist herself. The soundtrack plays her voice addressing omnipresent opinions and prejudices about her culture. Added to the artist’s voice is a third element of the work: historical facts and dates that (could have) influenced her personal life.
Baghdad in No Particular Order
PAUL CHAN (USA 2003, VIDEO, 51:00 MIN)
From 14 December 2002 to 14 January 2003, Paul Chan lived in Baghdad filming the people and the culture of lraq. Baghdad in No Particular Order (Part 1) is an ambient video essay
of life in Baghdad before the invasion and occupation. Men dance, women draw and sufis sing as they await the coming of another war. Baghdad in No Particular Order (Part Il) is a website, online at www.nationalphilistine.com/baghdad.