“Pray for Paris”, “Je Suis Charlie” or “They will never beat us!” are sayings that overwhelmed your telephone, computer, or television screen several times as a result of terrorist attacks in Europe. Lorries driving into crowds, bombings and shootings caused a massive stream of irrational reactions whereby emotion is leading within social and traditional media. As a spectator of these attacks, we do not want to experience it, but we want to be part of it. The overarching tone of the messages within the aftermath amplifies a feeling of collective victimization by European citizens. However, in comparison, there were only a few who were really present at the attacks and the rest of Europe only perceived them through cinematic and photographic imagery.
By using a provocative approach, my work unites these traumatic events with our own hyper-reality, whereby the spectator is able to review his or her position. Because, can you call yourself a victim when you were not being present at one of these terrorist attacks?
Read an in-depth article about this project and its impact on the viewers here.
