Virtual War(games)

The concept behind Wafaa Bilal's piece is intense and sick. In a period when Americans seem more concerned with the next American Idol than the war, an Iraqi artist's attempt to engage us in virtual game realities seems to me a pretty damn ironic way to get our bloody attention.

From Crudeoils.com:

"Iraqi born Wafaa Bilal has become known for provocative interactive video installations. Many of Bilal's projects over the past few years have addressed the dichotomy of the virtual vs. the real. He attempts to keep in mind the relationship of the viewer to the artwork, with one of his main objectives transforming the normally passive experience of viewing art into an active participation. In Domestic Tension, viewers can log onto the internet to contact, or shoot, Bilal with paintball guns. Bilal's objective is to raise awareness of virtual war and privacy, or lack thereof, in the digital age..." read on.