Comments on: The Israeli Border police (Magav) in Weimar

By: N

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:33:21 +0000

Why do you have so much self-hate? It’s always nice to make your people look bad in front of others, particularly the descendants of Nazis and their present sympathizers. You should be proud of yourself.

By: erwin van doorn

erwin van doorn — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:13:06 +0000

yoman again i very much like your starting point it refers to an issue we had in the netherlands please check side below some links are in englisch
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayaan_Hirsi_Ali
because she was fighting for the rights of muslim woman in our country she got protection but since she is originally from somalia she needs global protection because her death treath is not stopping at our border
she was asked for this think thank in the states and still wanted protection from the dutch this was a big issue which she lost and because she can t protect herself she s back which is nice ofcourse we need more like her
anyway nice story and cool images
cu

By: ronen

ronen — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 20:52:07 +0000

Sliman, thanks for your response. i agree with you that most Germans/residents of Weimar will not recognize the Jeep as a Israeli border police jeep. But they all recognize it as a militarized jeep an as I stated I’m my previous text, I first of all want through this project to raise the questions of the sense of security and the policing and militarization of the public sphere that is also very strong also here in Germany. But as anyone can see the jeep is a fake, it can’t really provide security, however its represents a façade of security similar to the fake Security and its forces being built up all around us.
So why make a Magav jeep you can ask. why confuse this issue with other points regarding Israel and being jewish and foreigner in germany? Why are you mixing issues?
Well here I agree with you with your that I’m “producing nice images for the export, that then make sense in another context”. Yes that’s true, the project does not only have a life as public art in Weimar, but also another life when it is exported through photos and video to other context where it will be viewed with different lenses and hopefully the extra levels will enrich the discussion in invokes.

By: Sliman

Sliman — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:05:14 +0000

Dear Ronen,

My knowledge in art is very limited. But since in the Discussion my name came up, and I was really shocked on the way to Mensa, I’d like to write some words.

Aesthetically is your work very nice, it’s also provocative. The Question is: what is he aim of this definitely political art?
Of course now I’m talking from a Palestinian perspective.

There are three important points: The context, the used elements and the concept.

I don’t know how useful is it, to use the Israeli Border Police Jeep in Germany. This is a very strong symbol (for some Israelis and most Palestinians) but for the big majority of Germans it means nothing. So if you would do such a project in Tel Aviv, I would understand it… The MAGAV is for me a symbol of repression and occupation, so if you want to use it the context should be clearer. In Germany it’s not possible.

The Concepts are interesting, but I can’t recognize “the concept”. You are mixing up many points… that doesn’t help to understand your intensions. Maybe separately they would make more sense.

You are producing nice images for the export, that then make sense in another context (for example when critical Israelis see them) but I don’t know if this is the aim of Art in public Space.

I think that some symbols should be handled with care, symbols of repression for sure!

By: Uri

Uri — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 06:10:19 +0000

Some more magav related art:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXKsV3ILdPw

By: yael

yael — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 22:36:45 +0000

Mehamem. the funny thing is your feet. seiing your feet brings out the idea that there are people in the jeep - its a symbol, but people wear it all their lives, redifining themselves, and redefining space as they go along. the funny thing is - It probably would not be noticed back home. only the feet would conjure up a question in peoples minds. maybe you should have one infront of the un building in nyc and another one in soho, on a busy shopping day.

By: Lin

Lin — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:20:29 +0000

My very dear Ronen,
This is so visually appealing, and brings up so many things at once, it does not seem to take a position on any of this finally. Like contemporary ‘political’ art usually do these days. Being playful to the point where it is not clear whether the play is for oppression or against it. It’s funny, because it’s the first time in my knowledge u fall into this trap. You know that I usually LOVE your art, and find it intriguing and meaningful. Does this change have to do with the fact u reside now in the fat belly button of Europe?! I think the EU doesn’t do u good :)! Come back to the guerrilla, we’re waiting for u!

By: daniel

daniel — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:09:43 +0000

i meant poor sliman and naomi, who thought there are save on the way to the cantina.

to nts: i agree it brings up a discussion, i wanted to mention what i think should be discussed. taking back “the lack of”
hope to see u all soon not just for discussions! i’m flying today! sorry for the offtopic!

By: ronen

ronen — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:05:46 +0000

Daniel, thank you for your comment, i very much agree with you and i feel you really understood the point that i was trying to make. Maybe my text is not clear enough, but it’s the question of Security and what does it mean that I want to discuss. In the project i exaggerate the common perception in order to open the discussion. I build a fake, absurd situation hoping to highlight the absurdity of the current situation. How the authorities try to solve problems not by getting to roots of the problems and dealing with it but by building more police forces, more surveillance, less rights to privacy, and walls fences and “security systems”.

By: nts.randomizer

nts.randomizer — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:20:17 +0000

as a video it looks so real, well done! i like the alienation effect very much.

for Daniel: lack of disscussion? this is exactly the purpose of this project, to bring up the disscussion. this is the objective of art work, to create it, but not nessecarily to manifest it in words. is the image not enough? also, i’d rater see any israelis on the way to the cantine and how they would react, rather than Sliman…