Wafaa Bilal

Wafaa Bilal - Domestic Tension


"...viewers can log onto the internet to contact or "shoot" Bilal with paintball guns. Bilal's objective is to raise awareness of virtual war and privacy, or lack thereof, in the digital age. During the course of the exhibition, Bilal will confine himself to the gallery space. Over the duration, people will have 24-hour virtual access to the space via the Internet. They will have the ability to watch Bilal and interact with him through a live web-cam and chat room."

I went to Bilal's lecture on campus last semester where he talked about this work. I really liked his concept, and after the Abramović show at the MoMA, can appreciate the discipline and meditative state of mind needed to invest oneself in a work like this. Bilal uses new media technology, such as the internet, live video, and robotics in the context of the war in Iraq.