BELIEVING
Since 2006
Interactive Installation
An installation with 843 building blocks
We as individuals have difficulty understanding that which does not affect us personally. But what can be considered personal in a world where important decisions that have great impact on one's life are taken in distant places by individuals one has never met? What is my responsibility in this world of globalization?
Being consistent is difficult, for the individual as well as for governments. To sustain democracy, a critical examination of the mechanisms of the extant power structures, as well as public knowledge of these mechanisms, is important. But what happens if the information, condition for a critique, never reaches the public?
One of the most discussed conflict in the world is the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Regardless of how informed we are about this conflict or if we have visited the region or not, we all seem to have a resolute opinion about this issue. In my attempt at understanding, I encountered the If Americans Knew organization. They present an examination of the media coverage of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Their investigation is concentrated primarily on the American media channels and the Associated Press (AP) newswire. Their analyses indicate that the news coverage of Israel/Palestine by most American media is distorted and inaccurate, making it virtually impossible for Americans to understand the reality of this conflict.
Through the If Americans Knew website I came into contact with R
emember These Children website which presents a record of all the children who have died in the conflict between Palestine and Israel since September 29, 2000.
Can I believe these analyses and reports? Who is the author and what is their agenda? Will it make any difference if they gain my trust? Will that stop the next soldier or suicide bomber to kill another child?
Believing - An installation with 843 building blocks is, as the subtitle suggests, an installation comprising 843 handmade children’s building blocks haphazardly arranged on a round grey carpet 5 meters in diameter. The piece is interactive: the public is welcome to step into the installation and to use the blocks to build simple play structures. The piece presents two aspects. The first, seen from the distance, presents a colorful, welcoming playground. As the viewer draws near, the second aspect is revealed as each building block is engraved with a name, year of birth and year of death. Each block represents a child who has died as a result of the conflict between Israel and Palestine since the 29 September 2000. The work that is partly inspired by and based on the register Remember These Children, is a memorial to the children who have died as a result of the conflict between Israel and Palestine and is regularily updated to include new child-victims that are registered on HYPERLINK "http://www.rememberthesechildren.org/" www.rememberthesechildren.org/.
Since Believing - An installation with 843 building blocks treats of one of today’s most sensitive issues, I believe it is important to present the art piece itself and its surrounding milieu with care and attention to avoid provoking negative responses. I do my best regarding this.
Alejandra Lundén
April, 2006 and 2008
