The Beautiful Occupation / 2005

 

The work “The Beautiful occupation” is based on the song by British group “Travis” which was made as a reaction to occupation of Iraq by coalition forces. The work consist little-trees (arbre-magic) that we use in the cars, in this case with the design of American flag. The main task is to make the space nice with its smell, but the same picture of multiplication of flag is visually aggressive. In the same time, the work is also making attention on the absurd changing of the understanding of the phrase “occupation forces” which is nowadays in the case of Iraq used as “liberation forces”. The work was first shown in May 2005, in the frame of the exhibition “A consumption of justice” in Diyarbakir (Türkiye) under the commission of Beral Madra. After Turkiye, the work was shown also in Galerija 10m2 in Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina). In 2009, the work was exposed in the frame of the collective exhibition “Art and Terrorism” (curator Irfan Hošić) in City Gallery of Bihać (Bosnia-Herzegovina). In days around the visit of American president Barack Obama in March 21, 2016, with aim to indicate another kind of "occupation", the work “The Beautiful occupation” was displayed in the old cars all around the historic quartier Habana Vieja in Havana (Cuba).

 

 

 

The beautiful Occupation

(Travis)

 

Don't just stand there watching it happening

I can't stand it

Don't feel it

Something's telling me

Don't wanna go out this way

But have a nice day

 

Then read it in the headlines

Watch it on the TV

Put it in the background

Stick it in the bag

Stick it in the bag

 

For the beautiful occupation

The beautiful occupation

You don't need an invitation

To drop in upon a nation

 

I'm too cynical

I'm just sitting here

I'm just wasting my time

Half a million civilians gonna die today

But look the wrong way

 

The beautiful occupation

The beautiful occupation

So much for an intervention

Don't call the united nations

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                                      Photo above: Diyarbakir Sanat Merkezi, Diyarbakir, Türkiye

                                                 Photo down: Habana Vieja, La Habana, Cuba