Wartist - Connecting War and the Arts

Aircraft Carrier to be Auctioned: HMS Invincible

Did you ever wanted to have something really special? The time is long gone to impress somebody with a simple yacht. Maybe this offer could be interesting then: since 28 November 2010, the United Kingdom is selling its aircraft carrier HMS Invincible by auction. In service since 1980, the ship lived up to its name by staying undefeated and is now awaiting the cutting torch, as it will be sold as scrap only.

Better times: HMS Invincible on voyage Continue reading “Aircraft Carrier to be Auctioned: HMS Invincible”

Kuwait bans the Use of Digital SLR Cameras…Not!

A few days ago we reported on the alleged ban of the public use of digital single-lens reflex cameras (SLR) by the emirate of Kuwait. As we now know, the information by the newspaper Kuwait Times proved to be wrong – luckily.

Thus, there is neither a ban, nor an art event by Kurt Buchwald. Continue reading “Kuwait bans the Use of Digital SLR Cameras…Not!”

Premiere: “Les Troyens” at Deutsche Oper Berlin

On 5 December 2010, Deutsche Oper Berlin (German Opera, Berlin, one of the three operas in Berlin) premiers Hector Berlioz’s opera Les Troyens (The Trojans). It was as recently as 1969 that this double opera (created 1856-1858) was shown in its full length of some five hours for the first time. The impressive work addresses the horrors of war: Troy perishes, the survivors fight in Carthage against an attacker, and this continued to be a never-ending story even after Aeneas and Carthage’s queen Dido have fallen in love with each other: decisions and fate tear them apart again; at the end, death remains.

Bild 167 wolfgang joop als troyaner
deutsche oper berlin 2010

Alain Josseau: War Vision Machines (Le Garric, France)

Beginning on 25 November 2010, French artist Alain Josseau presents some of his fascinating installations in the exhibition “War Vision Machines” in Le Garric, France. His works always address our and the media’s perception of major events such as wars.

Alain Josseau: War Machine #2 Continue reading “Alain Josseau: War Vision Machines (Le Garric, France)”

Kuwait Bans the Use of Digital SLR Cameras in the Public

As reported by the newspaper Kuwait Times (under reference to an edict by the three Ministries of Information, Social Affairs and Labour and Finances), the emirate of Kuwait has banned the public use of digital single-lens reflex cameras (SLR). Journalists are allegedly exempt from this ban.

One feels remembered to the art performance “Fotografieren verboten!” (No Pictures!) by the German photographer Kurt Buchwald from the years 1988 to 2004: in 1988, on the occasion of the 150th birthday of photography, he erected prohibition signs at worldwide viewpoints and places of interest to limit the inflationary taking of pictures. This picture of the Atacama desert in Chile has been made in 1995.

Fotografieren verboten! Atacama Wüste, Chile, 1995 (© Kurt Buchwald)

Damon Winter: War Photography with an iPhone (NY Times)

Thanks to the twitter stream of the German security-political journalist Thomas Wiegold¹, we took notice of the impressive photo spread of Damon Winter, published in the excellent “Lens” blog of the New York Times. The 19 published pictures have their own, direct aesthetics – the photographer took them with his iPhone while accompanying parts of the 10th US Mountain Division in northern Afghanistan.

Continue reading “Damon Winter: War Photography with an iPhone (NY Times)”

His blog “Augen geradeaus!” (German for the advice “look ahead” as well as the military command “Eyes front!”) is recommended for everybody interested in securty political issues, with a strong emphasis on the debates in Germany. Nevertheless, internationally relevant articles are available in Englisch, too. ↩

Borrowed Plumes: Demokratie-Spiegel writes about Jürgen Graetz’s “Erinnerungen”

The online magazine “Demokratie-Spiegel” published a short review about the photo exhibition “Jürgen Graetz: Erinnerungen” that is curated by Martin Bayer. They already had been so kind to previously point to the exhibition’s opening on 29 October 2010.

Opening: Chandogin – War Photography from Karelia and Leningrad 1939-1944

From 5 November 2010 onwards, the German-Russian Museum in Berlin-Karlshorst¹ is presenting the photo exhibition “Chandogin – War Photography from Karelia and Leningrad 1939-1944”. Since years, this museum is curating excellent exhibitions of Soviet photographers who often are hardly known in the West. This exhibition shall not the least be interesting, as its first focus is on the Soviet-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940, about which relatively few photos are available.

OLt Nikolaj Iwanowitsch Chandogin im Fronteinsatz, o.O., 1943/45 (© Deutsch-Russisches Museum Berlin-Karlshorst e.V.)

On 8/9 May 1945 at the then Army Combat Engineers Barracks, the unconditional surrender of the German Wehrmacht was signed again and thus ratified, therefore ending the Second World War in Europe. ↩

Jürgen Graetz: Erinnerungen (Memories)

As already announced here, on 29 October 2010, the exhibition “Erinnerungen” (memories) with photographs of Jürgen Graetz was successfully opened in the premises of the Berlin-based political consultancy republik movida GmbH. The welcome address was given by Lars Lindemann MdB (FDP) in the presence of the artist.

Lars Lindemann MdB, curator Martin Bayer, photographer Jürgen Graetz

Dieter Keller (1909-1985) – Photos from the Eastern Front

After a short reminder to the opening of the exhibition “Dieter Keller (1909-1985): Photos von der Ostfront” (Photos from the Eastern Front) in the Berlin-based Gallery Berinson, we finally had the opportunity to see all the works. Traces of the Second World War are shown from the view of an artistically thoroughly able pacifist: the people portrayed – may they be alive or dear – all remain their dignity. After having seen countless photos from World War II, we do not know many others of similiar artistic quality.

Dieter Keller: Brennendes Haus, 1941 (courtesy of Galerie Berinson, Berlin)