Two-channel video installation, 2007. 3 min.
This project, conceived for the exhibition Elsewhere at USFCam, comes from the mind of a War Tourist visiting America and Florida. War Tourist is now creating his own traumatic events.
The first place one often looks for when arriving in a new city is the tourist office. It represents the place where the Other is welcome, and where a city is presented at its best. Burning the tourist office means that the city will now be forbidden to foreigners, and it's a way to isolate oneself from the outside world. This is the first step to take to initiate political chaos (coup, protests…)
In recent years, Florida has been the focus of attention in the turmoil of American elections. It's even surprising that this situation didn't lead to any uprising. The project Preparing For Serious Events intends to stage what could be the first step to such uprising.
This project consists in the construction of a small building, made up as a tourist office. The construction is made like a theatre set, and installed in a public space. Material is installed (cameras, projectors…) to record the following action: a group of five young people approaches this building and starts organizing to burn it. They set fire to the building and flee.
In front of the building, a group of cheerleaders is encouraging the rioters. The presence of this group indicates that a confusion remains to understand if we are witnessing a serious event or a mere entertainment.
Once it finished burning, the construction set was dismantled, transported, and rebuilt (as it now is, burnt) in the exhibition space. The two videos are also presented in the exhibition space. The first video shows the riot and the burning of the construction, while the second video, shown on an opposite screen, shows the group of cheerleaders encouraging the action.
What the spectators see is the real artefact of a fake tourist office that really burnt, and the real documentation of a fake event.
Credits
Written and directed by Emanuel Licha
Realized with the support of
USF Contemporary Art Museum and Institute for Research in Art, Tampa
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
USF Contemporary Art Museum and Institute for Research in Art, Tampa
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
Thanks to
David Norr, Margaret Miller, Don Fuller and David Stringfellow, Tony Palms, Dave Waterman and the staff of the USF CAM / Institute for Research in Art, Gregory Green and his students, Neil Bender, John Byrd, Julie Weitz, Ireneo Cabreros, and the staff of the USF School of Art and Art History
David Norr, Margaret Miller, Don Fuller and David Stringfellow, Tony Palms, Dave Waterman and the staff of the USF CAM / Institute for Research in Art, Gregory Green and his students, Neil Bender, John Byrd, Julie Weitz, Ireneo Cabreros, and the staff of the USF School of Art and Art History
Presented at
University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, Aug. 27-Oct. 13, 2007
University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, Aug. 27-Oct. 13, 2007
Installation, vidéo 2 canaux, 2007. 3 min.
Ce projet, conçu pour le USF Contemporary Art Museum, a été imaginé par War Tourist en visite aux USA et en Floride. War Tourist a commencé à se sentir las de toutes ces villes en guerre, il lui semble que sa curiosité et son excitation ont diminué. Ainsi fabrique-t-il maintenant ses propres événements violents et il les documente.
Le premier lieu que l'on cherche souvent en arrivant dans une nouvelle ville est l'office de tourisme. Il représente le lieu de l'accueil, c'est là aussi où la ville est présentée sous son meilleur jour. Brûler un office de tourisme signifie que la ville sera désormais interdite aux visiteurs, et c'est une façon de s'isoler du monde extérieur, en préparation d'événements plus graves.
Cette fois il a de nouveau construit un office de tourisme (voir Bye-Bye Tourists, Welcome War Tourists!), avec les techniques des décors de cinéma. Trois émeutiers masqués y mettent le feu, pendant qu'un groupe de cheerleaders les encourage, comme s'il s'agissait-là d'un simple divertissement. Les deux vidéos montrent cette action, dans un lent et calme travelling.
La façade a été démontée puis transportée dans l'espace d'exposition. Ce que les spectateurs voient est le véritable artefact d'un faux office de tourisme qui a réellement brûlé, et la vraie documentation d'un faux événement.
Crédits
Écrit et réalisé par Emanuel Licha
Réalisé avec le soutien de
USF Contemporary Art Museum and Institute for Research in Art, Tampa
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
USF Contemporary Art Museum and Institute for Research in Art, Tampa
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
Remerciements
David Norr, Margaret Miller, Don Fuller et David Stringfellow, Tony Palms, Dave Waterman et l'équipe du USF CAM / Institute for Research in Art
Gregory Green et ses étudiants, Neil Bender, John Byrd, Julie Weitz, Ireneo Cabreros, et l'équipe de USF School of Art and Art History
David Norr, Margaret Miller, Don Fuller et David Stringfellow, Tony Palms, Dave Waterman et l'équipe du USF CAM / Institute for Research in Art
Gregory Green et ses étudiants, Neil Bender, John Byrd, Julie Weitz, Ireneo Cabreros, et l'équipe de USF School of Art and Art History
Présenté au University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, 27 août-13 oct. 2007
bibliographie
Elsewhere, textes de Derek Murray et David Norr, USF Museum of Contemporary Art, Tampa, 2007
PERKINS, Gregg, "Critic's Picks: Elsewhere", Artforum, New York, Octobre 2007
BENNETT, Lennie, "Not a Trip, a Quest", St-Petersburg Times, St-Petersburg, 18 sept, 2007
Elsewhere, textes de Derek Murray et David Norr, USF Museum of Contemporary Art, Tampa, 2007
PERKINS, Gregg, "Critic's Picks: Elsewhere", Artforum, New York, Octobre 2007
BENNETT, Lennie, "Not a Trip, a Quest", St-Petersburg Times, St-Petersburg, 18 sept, 2007
Bibliography / bibliographie
Elsewhere, Derek Murray, David Norr, USF Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, 2007
PERKINS, Gregg, "Critic's Picks: Elsewhere", Artforum, New York, October 2007
BENNETT, Lennie, "Not a Trip, a Quest", St-Petersburg Times, St-Petersburg, Sept. 18, 2007
PERKINS, Gregg, "Critic's Picks: Elsewhere", Artforum, New York, October 2007
BENNETT, Lennie, "Not a Trip, a Quest", St-Petersburg Times, St-Petersburg, Sept. 18, 2007
