In a war someone has to die.
Wow. Powerful, right? Certainly grabs your attention, it certainly grabbed mine.
In A War Someone Has To Die is a collaborative art project being curated and exhibited by Danish artist, Hanne Bang, and this is my small contribution, which I'm happy to know has already arrived in Denmark.
Hanne is asking people from all over the world to embroider these words in their own language on a handkerchief and send them to her. Together, the hankies will be displayed in large and small spaces depending on the exhibition space. If you would like to participate, you still can! Hanne is still accepting hankies, you can use your own, or if you do not have one, she will mail one to you. All kinds of stitching, and all kinds hankies are welcome.
Why this text? Best to quote the artist here...
Why this text?
A couple of years ago I happened to zap by a TV program, in which a journalist was interviewing a professional African soldier. To the soldiers great disappointment he was out of work at the moment – because there was no war in his region.
The interviewer asked the soldier if he was afraid of dying, and the soldier said: “No I am not afraid of dying. Are you afraid of dying?” The interviewer answered: “Yes I am afraid of dying”. Then the soldier said, without any sentimentality: “In a war someone has to die”.
These words are the main element in the art project. I use this sentence – these harsh words – in a feminine expression, as handkerchiefs and embroidery are.
”In a war someone has to die” is a universal art project - across language, country, culture, political beliefs and religion.A commentary on the war.
A couple of years ago I happened to zap by a TV program, in which a journalist was interviewing a professional African soldier. To the soldiers great disappointment he was out of work at the moment – because there was no war in his region.
The interviewer asked the soldier if he was afraid of dying, and the soldier said: “No I am not afraid of dying. Are you afraid of dying?” The interviewer answered: “Yes I am afraid of dying”. Then the soldier said, without any sentimentality: “In a war someone has to die”.
These words are the main element in the art project. I use this sentence – these harsh words – in a feminine expression, as handkerchiefs and embroidery are.
”In a war someone has to die” is a universal art project - across language, country, culture, political beliefs and religion.A commentary on the war.
Hanne has set up a Facebook page and has lots of pictures of the handkerchiefs already on exhibit, it's really a sight to see, so many women (and men!) contributing and all of our stitches displayed together at once. Like I said powerful.
More information can be found on Hanne's website & Facebook page, but I'm providing her address here, just in case you're shy and would like to send one in.
You can mail your handkercheif to:
Hanne Bang
Saettedammen 18
3400 Hilleroed, Denmark.
Saettedammen 18
3400 Hilleroed, Denmark.
Have you heard of this project already? What do you think?
oxo,
Lisa
3 comments:
No, I'd not heard of it, i'll go and take a look, when people are brought together it can be very powerful.
I came by your blog thanks to Needwork Craft Gossip, I'm so glad you've written up a post about this project,beacuse I hadn't heard about and now I'm going to participate.
I hadn't heard about this, but it is an awesome idea. I can only imagine how it must look in person to see all these hankies with the same message. The literal meaning is gut wrenching, but if you take the saying in a metaphorical sense, it's also heavy on the heart.
Thanks for sharing this!
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