We Make Money Not Art recently blogged about two projects from FEEDFORWARD – The Angel of History, which I co-curated with Christiane Paul at LABoral.

Hasan Elahi, Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad 1798-2006 (2009).

Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad is a transparent map that documents the use of U.S. Armed Forces by means of 22LR caliber bullets. Shooter from the Olympic Society of Shooting in Gijón shot from a distance of 25 meters (the Spanish law wouldn’t allow for a closer shot) into the polycarbonate map at the precise location where each incursion has occurred since 1798.

via We Make Money Not Art

Ali Momeni and Robin Mandel, Smoke and Hot Air (2008)

Reflecting on the perception of countries as they are shaped by the news and media landscape, Smoke and Hot Air reverses the general view of Iran, which is frequently depicted as aggressor. The recent global support for the uprising after the 2009 Iranian election showed how quickly the general attitude towards a country can shift. Translating the news into old-fashioned smoke signals, Momeni’s and Mandel’s project illustrates how the complexities of national and political identity can get reduced to false impressions, deceit, and posturing.

Régine Debatty commented about Smoke and Hot Air –

“I found the artwork particularly moving. Is simplicity can only be equaled by its efficiency and its peacefulness by the distressing political situation in the Middle East. The quiet and smoky atmosphere incites you to make a pause and reflect on the issue at stake.”

via We Make Money Not Art

More installation views here.