The Electronic Intifada Podcast 11 September 2013
“Remember. C-01” (2009), from Landscapes of Desire (2009-2013) by John Halaka
This week on The Electronic Intifada podcast:
- Preserving Palestine’s memory through art: artist John Halaka interviewed by Sarah Irving
- John Halaka’s website: www.johnhalaka.com
- Headlines from our top stories of the week
“Will the Young Forget” (2012). Triptych 3. Digital Print. From Portraits of Denial and Desire (2012-present), by John Halaka
Some excerpts from the interview with Sarah Irving:
“I don’t like the exclusionary notion that a Palestinian artist should only make art about Palestine. I think it’s critical that we look at the abuses as abuses against human beings, and develop links between oppressed people on a global level. I think that strengthens the critical discourse of the Palestinians, if we’re not talking in an exclusivist sense.”
“When the viewer engages with my work, I want them to stand and look. I don’t want to make work that will poke them in the eye but that will seduce them. I use the word very deliberately. That will engage them on a visual level, and then on an emotional level, in the way that music engages, and on an intellectual level, that gets them to raise questions about the subject matter, about their relation to it, their role in relation to the subject matter.
I think a good work of art leaves the viewer with questions. There is nothing that overtly says ‘Palestine’ about my art, but it should leave the viewer with an irritating series of questions that they ponder for hours or days or years.”
Images courtesy of John Halaka.
