Domestic tension was an interactive live installation, broadcast over the internet, in which you were sequestered in a gallery and could be shot at by a. Beginning in 1995, thomson set up the slade centre for electronic media in fine art scemfa. In domestic tension, he camped out for a month in a chicago gallery and people could go online and shoot him with a paintball. Wafaa bilals childhood in iraq was defined by the horrific rule of saddam hussein, two. Wafaa bilals brother, haji, was killed by a missile at a checkpoint in their hometown of kufa, iraq in 2004. Get youtube premium get youtube tv best of youtube music sports. In this, his latest effort, domestic tension, viewers can log onto the internet to contact or shoot bilal with paintball guns. Mediascape ucla school of theater, film and television. This iraqiamerican, who has lost family members in the conflict, garnered headlines around the world in 2007 when he lived in a gallery for 30 days with a webcam and a webcontrolled paintball gun. There is an aspect of witnessing in domestic tension that introduces a strategic state of looking that potentially allows for violence to carry on unattended. Bilal s objective is to raise awareness of virtual war and privacy, or lack thereof, in the digital age.
I briefly exposit how he uses youtube video blogs and a subsequent book to. The podcast recently named one of the new york times topten art podcasts is doubling down and scaling up in season 3, issuing new podcasts every two weeks and staring directly at our present crisis, with an eye to both history and potential. The ashes series is a project that began 11 years ago from a desire. In this essay i attempt to explicate the deleuzian concept of counteractualization as developed in his the logic of sense through the performative art of wafaa bilal, an iraqi born artist who now teaches at the tisch school of the arts at new york university. So, after the game was, the original game, called just saddam a quest for saddam was released, what alqaeda did, two years later, they went into the asset folder, and they. Domestic tension aka, to shoot an iraqi as well as and counting. Art, life and resistance under the gun, about bilal s life and the domestic tension project. Thus the creation and staging of domestic tension, an unsettling interactive performancepiece. At the time, bilal wanted to draw attention to the contemporaneous iraqi experience of being confined to your house, living in constant fear of bombardment. Bilal is currently an associate arts professor at new york universitys tisch school of the arts. Iraqi born artist wafaa bilal has become known for provocative interactive video installations.
He may be best known for domestic tension, an installation he created last year where he locked himself in a. Many of bilals projects over the past few years have addressed the dichotomy of the virtual vs. Artist tattoos indelible iraq memorial into his skin iraqiborn visual artist wafaa bilal has turned his own back into a casualty map of. Wafaa bilals domestic tension a politics of performance. In much of his work, bilal uses his body as a screen onto which audiences can project and play with their anxieties about the iraqiiraqi american body within the united states. Books by wafaa bilal kari lydersen download epub pdf. The david winton bell gallery is pleased to present the american premier of the complete the ashes series 200320 by iraqiamerican artist wafaa bilal, curated by ian alden russell. He has written feature stories for toronto life, the walrus, report on business, readers digest, the dance current, torontoist, broadview. Using wafaa bilals durational performance domestic tension as a case study, it explores how internet participation reconfigures notions of. The work comprises a large bookshelf filled with blank, white books which symbolizes the burning and looting of libraries in baghdad during the. Canvas travelled to the us to ask 10 middle eastern artists their thoughts on trump, cultural identity and the place of art in times of political crisis. Mar 19, 2010 continuing our coverage of the seventh anniversary of the u. Wafaa bilal is an iraqi american artist, a former professor at the school of the art institute of chicago and currently an.
A camera has been fastened to the back of his head that automatically takes a. Apr 19, 2010 wafaa bilals concept of body marking as a subtly cruel marking and flesh n blood iming is one of the most authentic artworks that ive seen lately. Nov 05, 2019 wafaa bilal is raising funds for one hundred sixtyeight hours and one second on kickstarter. Art, life and resistance under the gun, download epub pdf shoot an iraqi. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Join facebook to connect with wafaa bilal and others you may know. Iraqiborn artist wafaa bilal, an associate arts professor at new york universitys tisch school of the arts, is known internationally for his online performative and interactive works provoking dialogue about international politics and internal dynamics. Drawing on the work of psychoanalytic theorist melanie.
In domestic tension, viewers can log onto the internet to contact, or shoot, bilal with paintball guns. For domestic tension, a networked durational performance, iraqi artist wafaa bilal confined himself to a gallery space. Slogans for the 21st century began as a series of eyecatching posters used to promote a youtube party that coupland was hosting at the waldorf hotel in vancouver. Bilal uploaded one video per day to youtube where he can be seen. Domestic tension distills these experiences of life in a conflict zone. The ashes series marks a shifts in the platform of iraqiamerican artist wafaa bilal. Internationally acclaimed iraqiamerican artist wafaa bilal discusses select projects from his extensive body of work including domestic tension aka shoot an iraqi, virtual jihadi and the 3rdi. Users consent to shooting the gun at bilal, while others gaze on from their comfort zones on the other side of their monitor. For his 2007 installation, domestic tension, bilal spent a month in a chicago gallery with a paintball gun that people could remotely operate and shoot at him 247 over the internet. He is best known for his work, domestic tension, a performance piece in which he lived in a gallery for a month and was.
The official death toll from the war is 100,000, but it is widely estimated to be much higher, perhaps even as high as one million. In wafaa bilal s domestic tension, it was mostly american visitors who aimed at the human target. Many of bilal s projects over the past few years have addressed the dichotomy of the. A prologue to the past and present state of things ibraaz. The former star of the affair and fringe talks from home about his new series, little fires everywhere. Iraqiborn artist wafaa bilal is known internationally for his online performative and interactive. He has been interviewed on npr, the bbc, cnn, msnbc and the history channel.
Bilals response was domestic tension 2007, staged at the flatfile galleries in chicago, where he spent 31 days confined in a room, accepting only donated food. Many of bilal s projects over the past few years have addressed the dichotomy of the virtual vs. Rpi suspends exhibition after fbi explicitly states that wafaa bilal is not a person of interest heres the story, and an interview with the artist on youtube. Wafaa bilals domestic tension a politics of performance in. Known for provocative, performative, and innovative artwork often using technology and new media, bilal has cultivated an aesthetic of conflict, tension, and direct confrontation with the social, political, and ethical dynamics of the modern world. Domestic tension iraqi born wafaa bilal has become known for provocative interactive video installations. Art, life and resistance under the gun september 2008 q. Shortly after being introduced to wafaa bilal, there were already whispers of 3rdi and she was immediately on board. Wafaa bilal, domestic tension still, 2007 for the past ten months, iraqiborn new yorkbased artist wafaa bilal has been documenting everything that happens behind him. Wafaa bilal is an iraqborn artist, now living in chicago. Bilal s autobiographical text, published with kari lyderen, supports my claims and provides retrospective insight on the piece. Online viewers could access the project website to operate a robotic paintball gun in the gallery, which would fire yellow pellets at the artist at any time of day or night, though. Shoot him now anonymity, accountability and online.
For his 2007 installation domestic tension, bilal spent a month in a chicago gallery with a paintball gun that people could shoot at him. Socially engaged art at wikia recent changes all pages subpages connections editing tutorial refresh selected works domestic tension wafaa bilal, an iraqi born artist who immigrated to the united states in 1992, carried out this 30 day interactive art installation in a back room of chicagos flatfile galleries. Artist wafaa bilal will visit noma to interpret his interactive installation 168. Bilal s previous work has been noted for its provocative nature. Syracuse symposium continues its yearlong exploration of belonging with a miniresidency by acclaimed iraqiamerican artist wafaa bilal. Jul 23, 2008 awardwinning iraqi artist wafaa bilal discusses his new book shoot an iraqi and the impact of his highly provocative interactive art piece domestic tension. He is best known for his work, domestic tension, a performance piece in. For his 2007 monthlong durational performance, domestic tension, bilal fully realized this trope in physical form as spectators shot projectiles at the artist. In domestic tension, viewers can log onto the internet to contact, or shoot, bilal with paintball gun.
The third and longest section looks at the iraqiamerican artist wafaa bilal s use of the brown body as an object of surveillance in his performancebased installation domestic tension. Artist tattoos indelible iraq memorial into his skin. Syracuse symposium continues belonging theme with artist. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Get youtube tv best of youtube music sports gaming movies tv shows news live.
To focus this issue, we will analyze wafaa bilal s domestic tension exhibition, work which could be defined as a translation of war selfexperience into an artistic frame. Curated by srimoyee mitra, organized and circulated by the art gallery of windsor 168. In his latest piece of artwork, iraqi american artist wafaa. Iraqiborn artist bilal records the month he spent confined in his 2007 interactive performance piece entitled domestic tension. Iraqiamerican artist aims to rebuild book collection. This artistic social inquiry specifically questions surveillance, economic exploitation, and authoritarian corruption.
Iraqiborn artist wafaa bilal, an associate arts professor at new york universitys tisch school of the arts, is known internationally for his online performancebased and interactive works, which provoke dialogue about international politics and internal dynamics. Bilals objective is to raise awareness of virtual war and privacy, or lack thereof, in the digital age. The audience was also given the option of shooting bilal with a robotically contr. Mark mann is a writer and editor who specializes in longform narrative journalism. Wafaa bilal is an iraqi american artist, a former professor at the school of the art institute of chicago and currently an associate professor at the tisch school of the arts at new york university. Particularly suggestive in this regard is wafaa bilal s 2007 work domestic tension, in which the artist lived more or less continuously for a month in front of a webcam and paintball gun that could be controlled remotely via the internet. The defining feature of bilal s sparsely furnished room was an. The ashes series is composed of ten photographs of models constructed by the artist over a period of ten years documenting the aftermath of operation iraqi. Art, life and resistance under the gun, about my life and the premise behind domestic tension. Against bright monochrome backgrounds, he borrowed the hotels knockout49 font to dispense allcaps aphorisms. Wafaa bilal, a professor of photography and imaging at nyus tisch school of the arts, has exhibited his art worldwide and lectured extensively. Iraqis visited the site more rarely, and when they did, it was to offer their countryman moral support. The inspiration for domestic tension stemmed from bilal s experiences in refugee camps during the rule of saddam hussein.
Logic of sense through the performative art of wafaa bilal, an iraqi born artist who now. Bilal s 2007 dynamic installation domestic tension gained global recognition, being named artist of the year by the chicago tribune. Jun 01, 2010 artist tattoos indelible iraq memorial into his skin iraqiborn visual artist wafaa bilal has turned his own back into a casualty map of the iraq war. Lets remodel the library at the college of fine arts at the university of baghdad. In his technologydriven public performances, installations, actions, and objectbased works, wafaa bilal aims to reengage a desensitized public with the violent political conflicts occurring worldwide, and especially in his native iraq.
The dmg presents 3rdi, a project in which artist wafaa bilal had a camera surgically implanted on the back of his head to transmit images to the web, at the rate of one image per minute, 24 hours a day. Bilal will discuss specific bodies of work including domestic tension aka shoot an iraqi, the things i could tell, and his most recent project 168. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Participate in rebuilding the library at the college of fine arts at the university of baghdad. Projective identification and wafaa bilal s domestic tension joshua chambersletson.
By utilizing forms of online social media video, radio, youtube, internet. A conversation with wafaa bilal, author of shoot an iraqi. Wafaa bilal makes art in this transitional space, neither here nor there, moving between time and place, life and death, as if there were only a gossamer veil between them. He broadcasted over the internet 247, inviting viewers to watch and chat with him at all hours. Through daily video blogs, online chats, and the constant image of the paintsplattered room that he lived in, bilal s goal with his livein art piece, domestic tension, was to draw attention to the false sense of distance between those who enact violence in war and those who are the victims of such violence. Iraqiborn artist wafaa bilal, an arts professor at new york universitys tisch school of the arts, is known internationally for his online performative and interactive works provoking dialogue about international politics and internal dynamics.
Performing histories wafaa bilal in conversation with sara raza. One hundred sixtyeight hours and one second by wafaa bilal. During the course of the exhibition, bilal will confine himself to the gallery space. Iraqiborn artist wafaa bilal has exhibited his art worldwide, and traveled and lectured extensively to inform audiences of the situation of the iraqi people, and the importance of peaceful conflict resolution. Bilal directly and uncompromisingly brings forward political facts that are in constant repetition. Using wafaa bilals durational performance domestic tension as a case study. Bilal feels the pain of both american and iraqi families who have lost loved ones in the war, but the deaths of iraqis like his brother are largely invisible to the american public. With a ba in art history from smith college and an ma in french cultural studies from columbia university, christine spent several years in paris before moving to beirut where she worked at espace sd until the space closed in 2007. Art, life and resistance under the gun books by wafaa bilal kari lydersen. Oct 01, 2012 the iraqi artist wafaa bilal is one of my colleagues in the photography and imaging department at new york university. May 28, 2014 wafaa bilal began collecting photographs for his ashes series shortly after the american invasion of iraq, in 2003. He is best known for his work domestic tension, a performance piece in which he lived in a gallery for a month and was shot. Crudeoils is a collaborative consistenting of wafaa bilal and shawn lawson, whose artwork critiques structures of power.
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