This is fascinating to me

[likethebeer]

"A point-and-shoot exhibit: Display's creator lives under the gun controlled by Web viewers"

By Mark Caro
Tribune entertainment reporter
Published May 10, 2007

The artist can't see the shooter, just the gun, which -- BLAM! -- keeps getting fired in his direction.

... Iraqi-born Wafaa Bilal has specific political, emotional and artistic reasons for the painfully interactive anti-war installation he has set up in a West Loop gallery at 217 N. Carpenter St. Confining himself from Friday through June 15 in a room at Flatfile Galleries, the 40-year-old Chicago resident has rigged a paintball gun to a Web camera, a computer and a motor, so anyone who clicks on the exhibit's Web site can aim and fire at him just about 24 hours a day.

The installation is titled "Domestic Tension..."

mda & I have been having an extended conversation about this. At last count, the paintball gun (which Wafaa has to reload) was shot over 14,000 40,000 60,000 times.

THis brings up so many things that I can't even articulate. It reminds me of the body art objects done by Chris Burg Burden. Or conceptual art (because they are downloading all of the info that people send in--exposing the underbelly so-to-speak). One of the other things that fascinates me is my reaction. On the one hand, I'm freaked out. This poor man. He can't sleep. I can't imagine what this is doing to him, physically. On the other hand, there's this little thing that goes, "Come on. You could shoot him." mda said that there are people who are actively trying to move the camera (w/the gun below it) away from the guy, while others are actively trying to shoot him. And then, Fox News, put this up:

Frustrated with the current state of world affairs? A Chicago artist may have the solution for you.

Virtual visitors to Wafaa Bilal's art installation "Domestic Tension" can shoot the Iraqi-born artist with a paint-ball gun for the duration of the exhibit at Flatfile Galleries in the Loop, The Chicago Tribune reports.

"The first shot and the first hit I got, I said, 'Why am I doing this?'" Bilal told the paper.

Click here to take a shot.

It's really fascinating. It's combining all of that conceptual art from the 1970s, with feelings of personal responsibilities of the Internet, with YouTube (the guy's got a YouTube site), w/David Blaine, for god's sake. And, like I said, there's this thing: I find myself repulsed (particularly when watching the video--which had sound), and feeling for this guy, and again, after over 40k shots, there's this part that wants to go "just SHOOT HIM."

It's like thousands of people are participating in an art exhibit. It's really so fascinating.

Comments

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Oh good, I get to shoot an Iraqi. Maybe then I'll feel like the rest of the nation, and want it to continue.

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

Maybe we could have an American do this in... Europe. I wouldn't say Iraq, coz that could get ugly. Oh, wait, the gun has gone off in the man's room 40,000.

[ghostwes.livejournal.com]

That really is a brilliant idea.

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

It has a lot of people intrigued. I told about 5 people about it yesterday at BobFest, b/c it was so engaging. Poor guy, though. mda tells me that currently the gun is going off about 10x a minute. As more people find out about it.... It's probably going to get insane(r).