Many years of my adult life I had the feeling that the people of the world started to mature. That they would open up - and start to accept eachother more. That gender, race and nationality mattered less in the relationships between people. National borders became more open and the world in many parts started to grow closer.
But in the past years I started to realize that most of this appears to be wishful thinking. Proof for this, if I needed any, were the elections to the European Parliament. Nationalist parties drew alot of votes in their repective countries. And thus formed the paradox, that in a parliament of a multilateral union the voice of seperatism grew stronger.
Europe is not the only continent, where nationalist movements gathered strength. In fact, it seems that the segregation of the world into smaller and smaller parts is on the rise. And conflicts along national, cultural, religious or even clan border lines increase.
The invitation by SperiMenta and Tanalois Art to show on Solaris Island came at the perfect time.The venue provided me with plenty of space and prims to develop 'Us&Them - The Re-Rebirth of the Demon'.
The installation is essentially a two-way-mirror, which is not apparent at the first glance. Only the explorative nature will be able to see the whole picture.
The installation will be on Solaris Island until the end of July 2014, in case you would like to take a look.
This is the text that accompanys the installation. It is also in the notecard you will find on the landingpoint:
"We lock ourselves into golden cages. Our discussions run in circles. We forget that we are connected. What comes from the outside is evil, they tell us. It wants to take from us, what we paid for with our own blood, sweat and tears.
We have heard those voices before. The false sirens had sung and we had followed. And it gained us nothing. But suffering, death and destruction.
Yet we seem to be ready to listen to them again. Aware that they don’t offer solutions. But their false promises glide down our throats like sweet honey.
It’s not them who will pull the trigger. They might say, thereafter, that they never wanted it to happen that way. But by then, no one will be there to hear.
The Project “Us&Them“, by Moeuhane Sandalwood, is not a work of fiction. It is an image of our time. Taken one of these days in one of those nations. And peculiarly enough: Whoever visits the exhibit, will find him or herself already part of it. Only thing to decide is: Which one in this image is you?"
The opening at Solaris Island on July 2, 2014 was fantastic (Thank you Duna Gant for taking pictures!). Many friends came over - and also many people I hadn't met before. And I think I struck a chord in many of them.
My sincere Thanks go out to Sarabell, Nino Vichan and Alo Congrejo for giving me this opportunity and space. I would also like to express special gratitude to Gem Preiz. He showed me how to perfect the resolution for the 'imaginative curtain' in the center of the piece. Looks magnificent thanks to you, Gem!
More Pictures of the show are on Flickr and Facebook.
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