Rapport. Kabul/Copenhagen

Report:

Spouts and withered branches

The project was highly experimental. There were many factors which were not envisaged and therefore it took form organically in line with the series of events unfolding. Parts of the original concept was not possible to perform within the economic framework which was awarded the project. Among others, it was not possible to obtain sponsorship for Video Conference tools which would have facilitated a direct and real-time dialogue between the participating audience. There was emphasis on the visual expression and gradually the focus was placed on creating an illusion of space; Imagine you are standing on the streets of your capital. Twilight creep over the city. In a window case facing the street you can see into a classroom where Muslim girls are taught how to paint. The luminous window bathes the sidewalk in colorful light. As you step closer you discover that there simply is no room behind the window. It is an optical screen you are looking at and the film shown has been recorded far from Copenhagen. It is the daily routine of the female arts center CCAA. in Kabul, Afghanistan.

A helping hand.

Besides the sponsorship from the National Arts Fund, Window For Dialogue was partially sponsored by DNP optic projection screens which provided a display at wholesale prices. Without their support it would not be feasible to carry out the project. Also Copenhagen Central Library was an indispensable and competent partner that assisted wi

th exhibition space, technology, poster production and a truly dedicated staff. In Afghanistan, the CCAA. (Centre for Contemporary Art Afghanistan) functioned both as host organization and as material for the films recorded in Kabul. The budget was set very tight and I was even forced to pay half the cost of production. It was not possible to obtain support from the Danish National Arts Council.

The installation in Copenhagen.

In Copenhagen Central Library, we installed a truncated pyramid in plywood. The box was flanked by two pillars from which it was suspended so that it “floated” in the air. The projector, computer and all wiring was hidden Inside the box. At the end of the box towards the window was the library’s rear-projection screen. The frame of the two pillars and the distance between them the window and the projection screen worked well to give the impression of space in teh flat screen thus improving the illusion. There was a period of two weeks between installation in Copenhagen and my trip to Kabul and this was used to document the process. My iPhone became an indispensable component in the sense that the mobile could send live stream directly to the display in the main library. That way I could document material purchases in Singapore, the flight to Bangkok, the customs in Dubai and the “water show” outside the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa. As well as my thoughts and feelings with regard to travelling into a War Zone. There was also another significant derive from this intermediate period. The screen was on in Copenhagen from four o’clock every day and ran until midnight, when a timer would turn off the installation. I was in Singapore, and used an internet application to broadcast live to the screen. I started to experiment with minimalist lighting installations which I could manipulate and broadcast directly to the streets of Copenhagen. There is certainly a rich area for further exploration regarding the use of live video transmission directly to public space and perhaps a new approach to painting too.

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The material for Copenhagen.

The basic idea was to present the daily lives of Afghans to the Danes and vice versa. Not the sensationalistic media image that we are so accustomed to but some recognizable common ground across all cultural barriers. There were both live video and recordings from the same day. The time difference meant that live video could only be recorded at night. The videos from Kabul were recorded primarily in the CCAA. and were therefore often of female students. The lenght of the vidios was typically two times three hours and there was always a fixed camera angle directed into a room. Chance played a significant role in the experience of the installation. Sometimes the room which was shown on the screen could be completely empty for hours before suddenly being filled with Muslim art students. Or a guy might emerge who would roll out a prayer rug and through his prayer activate the otherwise apparently static image in Copenhagen. In total, I recorded about 120 hours of video from Kabul.

The installation in Kabul.

Upon arrival in Kabul, it became clear that it was extremely difficult to carry out a project of this nature under the given circumstances. Kabul is still a war zone and there are many restrictions on photography and video footage. In addition, a fearful population and a significant cultural censorship as paralyzing the screening of films and live video in public spaces. I was advised not to move around in the city by myself, let alone after dark. My first guest house was protected by massive iron gates which were guarded by four men with machine guns. Gradually I became more confident and began to explore the city for suitable locations to install the projector and screen. It was also clear that there exist a life behind the iron gate and one outside. Life within the protected compounds was reserved the ones who came with massive support from the West and who typically experiences the country as extremely dangerous and hostile. Ordinary people live as best they can, there has been war in Afghanistan for thirty years and seen in that perspective, Kabul, today, is fairly stable and secure. In Afghanistan, the war economy is rolling. There is money coming in but the bulk of it ends up in the hands of the few who have contacts within the government and thus may secure lucrative contracts. Therefore, many goods and services become incredibly expensive and this was also an obstacle to carrying out the project in that the prices of a fast Internet connection costs two thousand American dollars a month and the minimum subscription is three months. Window For Dialogue uses shopping windows to create an illusion of dislocated space in the public sphere. I negotiated with several suitable locations in Kabul. Finally I decided on a small kiosk located under an overhanging rock in the old town. The site was chosen primarily based on aesthetic considerations. The houses in the district consist of mud walls and have large traditional windows. The whole area is situated on the slopes of the mountain range that divides Kabul in two and the town forms a labyrinthine structure with narrow alleys, stairs, ladders and flat plateaus. The streets are made of earth, there is no running water or sanitation. The area’s inhabitants are a motley mix of landowners, the poor and criminals. I thought it was interesting to take this population group in dialogue. Install the project in their neighborhood and use it as a starting point to engage in conversations with them about Denmark and Afghanistan, Culture and War. It worked quite smoothly but I was nevertheless forced to take the project down after four days because of safety considerations, something I was greatly encouraged to do by both CCAA and local residents in the area.

The material for Kabul.

Because of the strict censorship in Afghanistan I had to solely rely on recorded video for the installation in Kabul. We recorded video from Copenhagen Central Library, from the cafe, from debate exposures and from book sales. A debate session was arranged one night where the audience could question the politician Frank Aaen from the left wing party  Enhedslisten on his view of the Danish participation in war in Afghanistan.

Audience’s reaction.

The audience consisted of those who knowingly or unknowingly witnessed the installations in Kabul and Copenhagen but also by those who only saw the project on the Internet or the ones I had dialogues with in Denmark and Afghanistan. In this way the audience was not bounded by the physical installation. The aim was to create a dialogue and it was sought through my presence and facilitated through the physical art work. It is noteworthy that several had their perception of Afghanistan moved by seeing the daily life in Kabul. A statement like “It looks like you know, my son’s kindergarten in Nørrebro” was typical. The reaction in Afghanistan was also important since misinformation and outright attempts at discrediting Denmark are prevalent in Afghanistan. It was important to show that Danes do not hate Muslims and that we are people who basically have the same ethical basis as the typical Afghan audience.

Internet.

The website did not achieve the decisive role I had hoped for. Partly because of time constraints and partly because It was difficult to get individuals to participate with their own texts and images. Therefore, all content on the site was generated by myself. I tried to draw a Portrait of Kabul and Copenhagen through blog posts with video footage, photos and texts. I documented leisure life in Sharanell park in Kabul and in the king’s garden in Copenhagen. I also got a feature from Gay parade in Copenhagen and the biggest bazaar in Kabul. The site served more as documentary rather than the hypertext which I had initially intended.

Development and future.

It was the premiere of Window For Dialogue which took place in Kabul and Copenhagen. The project developed organically in line with the events unfolding. I can easily see the project repeated as an improved version. The key is to create a convincing illusion. The live element and the direct dialogue will be a significant part increasing the quality of the work. I imagine using several props and interactive possibilities in the work, such as a pay phone from which you can call the participants as seen on screen and thus have a real conversation going. It would also be possible to work solely with one projection screen and rely on other media to achieve the direct dialogue because in it’s current form you really need at least two people at the locations to manage the installations. I hope that I can obtain funding opportunities to  participate in international art biennales and exhibitions.

Window For Dialogue was supported by

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