Nis Rømer Artist, educator & curator

NIS RØMER Artist, educator & curator ABOUT News CV & contact Teaching Curating Press PROJECTS Plant Parliament The Dark Reaction Golden Standard Holistic masterplan Haninge Møn Land Reform Revenge of the Crystals Model Society Communities of Desire Garden of Commons Plant Nursery Imaginistic Welfare Institute Hallucinogenic Parks Workarounds Migrating Gardens Hans Blix' Glasses SOUP Rooftop Garden Free Soil Bus Tour Public Air Quality Indicator GROUPS Walking Distance/ Gåafstand Field Work Publik Free Soil ARCHIVE See more works PUBLIC LIBRARY Some rare and out of print books		Hans Blix' Glasses - a memorial to the Iraq War (2008) Installation with carpet, table, chessboard and publication, on line component. Encounters. Shown at: The National Gallery, Denmark (Statens museum for kunst) --Click or mouse over the icons in the image below for interaction-- In this project I wanted to consider how a monument to the Iraq war could look like. The Installation was consisting of a reinterpreted Persian rug that covers key events in Denmark's participation in the Iraq war (mouse over below). During the exhibition, I played chess with resident Iraqis and discussed ways in which the war had affected society. Talks focused on contemporary art, media and women's rights. With artist Hussein Tai the conversation was about the situation for contemporary art and the possibilities of making art at all. With Zakia Al-muomen, a woman rights advocate, I discussed the situation of women and with Al kufani, another artist, the subject was the media's role in relation to freedom of expression. Hans Blix was the head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission from January 2000 to June 2003. In 2002, the commission began searching Iraq for weapons of mass destruction, ultimately finding none. Colin Powell in UN Thursday, February 6, 2003 "The material I will present to you comes from a variety of sources. Some are U.S. sources. And some are those of other countries. Some of the sources are technical, such as intercepted telephone conversations and photos taken by satellites. Other sources are people who have risked their lives to let the world know what Saddam Hussein is really up to. I cannot tell you everything that we know. But what I can share with you, when combined with what all of us have learned over the years, is deeply troubling. What you will see is an accumulation of facts and disturbing patterns of behavior. The facts on Iraq's behavior demonstrate that Saddam Hussein and his regime have made no effort -- no effort -- to disarm as required by the international community. Indeed, the facts and Iraq's behavior show that Saddam Hussein and his regime are concealing their efforts to produce more weapons of mass destruction. " "My colleagues, every statement I make today is backed up by sources, solid sources. These are not assertions. What we're giving you are facts and conclusions based on solid intelligence." "The trucks and train cars are easily moved and are designed to evade detection by inspectors. In a matter of months, they can produce a quantity of biological poison equal to the entire amount that Iraq claimed to have produced in the years prior to the Gulf War." Mouse over or click icons on the carpet/ image above to read. Foghs Declaration Declaration of war B 118 (as put forward): Proposal for the parliament concerning Danish military participation in a multinational deployment in Iraq. Put forward on the 18th of March 2003 by the foreign minister (Per Stig Møller) The parliament announces it's concent to disposing danish military forces to a multinational effort in Iraq. (notes for the proposal is to be found below) B 118 (som fremsat): Forslag til folketingsbeslutning om dansk militær deltagelse i en multinational indsats i Irak. Fremsat den 18. marts 2003 af udenrigsministeren (Per Stig Møller) Forslag til folketingsbeslutning om dansk militær deltagelse i en multinational indsats iIrak Folketinget meddeler sit samtykke til, at danske militære styrker stilles til rådighed for en multinational indsats i Irak. [Uddrag fra begrundelsen] IV. Ved vurderingen af den foreliggende situation har regeringen lagt vægt på, at Irak i flere tilfælde har anvendt masseødelæggelsesvåben såvel mod militære mål som civile, at afvæbning af Irak er nødvendig for at fjerne truslen mod den internationale fred og sikkerhed i regionen, at Irak over en årrække substantielt har krænket sine nedrustningsforpligtelser i henhold til FNs Sikkerhedsråds resolutioner, at FNs Sikkerhedsråd med resolution 1441 af 8. november 2002 besluttede at give Irak en sidste chance for at opfylde sine nedrustningsforpligtelser og undgå alvorlige konsekvenser, at Irak ifølge FNs våbeninspektører ikke har overholdt kravene i resolution 1441 om omgående, betingelsesløst og aktivt samarbejde, at det må konstateres, at Irak dermed har forspildt sin sidste chance i medfør af resolution 1441, at våbeninspektørerne og det internationale samfund trods dette i en periode har fortsat bestræbelserne på at tilvejebringe et egentligt og frugtbart samarbejde med Irak m.h.p. opfyldelse af landets nedrustningsforpligtelser, at et sådant samarbejde ifølge FNs våbeninspektører er en forudsætning for at gennemføre en fredelig afvæbning af Irak, at det efter våbeninspektørernes rapport i FNs Sikkerhedsråd den 7. marts 2003 må konstateres, at disse bestræbelser trods et meget betydeligt internationalt politisk og militært pres har vist sig at være forgæves, at der bl.a. på baggrund af erfaringerne fra de seneste 12 års bestræbelser på at nedruste Irak ikke er udsigt til at yderligere tid til forhandling og inspektion vil kunne frembringe det nødvendige irakiske samarbejde og dermed sikre opfyldelse af landets nedrustningsforpligtelser, at fortsat manglende irakisk efterlevelse sammenholdt med vedvarende eftergivenhed fra det internationale samfunds side vil svække respekten for FNs Sikkerhedsråd, at FNs Sikkerhedsråd tidligere har bemyndiget anvendelse af militær magt mod Irak m.h.p. gennemtvingelse af Sikkerhedsrådets krav og betingelser, og at denne bemyndigelse stadig står ved magt, at gennemtvingelse af FNs Sikkerhedsråds krav, herunder som en sidste udvej med militære magtmidler, er nødvendig for at fjerne truslen mod den internationale fred og sikkerhed i regionen. Regeringen finder det på denne baggrund velbegrundet, at det internationale samfund anvender militære magtmidler til at gennemtvinge opfyldelsen af Iraks nedrustningsforpligtelser. Gades Exit 1st of August 2007: Defence Minister Søren Gade (V) had to seek cover from rocket attacks on several occations when he officially closed the Danish camp in Basra,Iraq. Chess was developed in the Middle East and was used as allegory for the conflict. In the exhibition period, I played chess with resident Iraqis and discussed the situation after Denmark officially pulled out of Iraq. Here the artist Al Kufani (to the right). Download the book Hans Blix's glasses, PDF, 25 pages Hans Blix was the head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission from January 2000 to June 2003. In 2002, the commission began searching Iraq for weapons of mass destruction, ultimately finding none. Iraq body count; 81.000-88.000 [As of 11th February 2008] www.iraqbodycount.org Total Iraqi deaths caused by war and war-related violence. Estimated 600.000 (which would represent 2.5 percent of Iraq's population) Source researchers from Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health. [As of 11th February 2008] www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/press_releases/2006/burnham_iraq_2006.html Danish soldiers killed in Iraq 7 [As of 11th February 2008] http://icasualties.org/oif International soldiers killed 4257 (3950 US) [As of 11th February 2008] http://icasualties.org/oif Public protest February 15, 2003 anti-war protest The February 15, 2003 anti-war protest was a coordinated day of protests across the world against the imminent invasion of Iraq. Millions of people protested in approximately 800 cities around the world. According to BBC News, between six and ten million people took part in protests in up to sixty countries over the weekend of the 15th and 16th; other estimates range from eight million to thirty million. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_15,_2003_anti-war_protest Sunday, 16 February, 2003, 04:10 GMT 'Million' march against Iraq war Police said it was the UK's biggest ever demonstration with at least 750,000 taking part, although organisers put the figure closer to two million. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2765041.stm Monday, 17 February, 2003, 13:01 GMT Millions join global anti-war protests Between six and 10 million people are thought to have marched in up to 60 countries over the weekend - the largest demonstrations of their kind since the Vietnam War. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2765215.stm Hussein Tai, b 1966, Iraq Visual Artist living in Copenhagen Educated from The College of Fine Arts, Baghdad, Iraq, 1992 http://www.bazart.dk/visprofil.php?kunstner_id=1000046 Meeting 13-02-2008 in Copenhagen transcript of parts of our conversation Nis: ...In this project the level of international politics is cross-sectioned with the experience of the war described by individuals, mainly Iraqis living in Denmark. Hussein: As Iraqi i was happy when Saddam was removed. But today people from the whole region come to fight the Americans. There are positive things about the war and very negative things in my view. I hope for more security and stability in the coming years, but right now I am a pessimist. I come from Baghdad and my family lives there, that is what I know the best and hear most about. Baghdad is special because all religious groups live there side by side, and this is right now cause for conflict. [......] Nis: Since you are an artist as well, I am interested in hearing about how the situation is in Baghdad in regards to visual art, is it made at all? is the art academy operating? Hussein: It's in operation but not as before, they have the same educational system, but instability makes it hard or impossible to work. One positive thing is that back then you were very much told what to do. The Bath party controlled the educational sector, and the university under which the art academy rests. To get in you had to be a member of the Bath party. Bath was Saddam's party, and if you were good in making portraits you were told to do portraits of the president (Saddam). It was your duty then, you couldn't say no. Nis: Back then it was only figurative painting? Hussein: It was an academic system, the first years were mandatory assignments, the last year ones own project. But nothing abstract or modern. You mainly did what you were told - a classical school. Nis: Have you got a sense of what is going on today? Hussein: I have seen some reports in television. There is more freedom but on the other side also bad things like in: Making paintings to be sold. That makes paintings very bad. But there is also lack of professors and teachers, some have fled from Iraq, some are dead. The most important and strongest teachers are not at the academy right now. [.......] Nis: From where do you get your information in terms of staying up to date on the war and the situation in Iraq? Hussein: I watch the Arabic channels; Al Jazeera, Al Arabia, and from friends in Baghdad, bad news mostly. You see places you know and remember now being ruined it's depressing. Sometimes I stop seeing the news for that reason. Many cultural treasures and places of interest to artists and intellectuals are being destroyed even though the shouldn't be a part of the conflict. Today there is by large not being produced any art and culture in Iraq. Cultural life is almost non existing. Nis: Is there an Iraqi cultural life in Denmark, there are 25.000 Iraqis living here. Hussein; Yes round about that figure, there are 10-12 visual artists, educated from the arts academy or arts high school (there are two art schools in Baghdad), but very few, if any, are living from their art. There is no community or union of Iraqi artists. Artists also work on their own mostly. [.......] Hussein: Previously there were no problem between Sunni and Shia. You didn't even think about which religion other people had, but in what was in common. Now that has changed, fundamentalism have sneaked in among other reasons because groups from outside have come in and radicalised the conflict. Both the Sunnis and the Shias have fundamentalist parts that has been strengthened during the conflict. Nis: What do you think in the longer run, will the radical be the ones in power and setting the agenda of will people become weary of war? Hussein: The politicians are splitting the country between religions because the parties follow the religious groupings. This is increasing the conflict. If they change and start working on basis of what is best for Iraq, not the religious or the ethnic, then there is hope for a better development. Interview with Zakia Al-muomen Copenhagen 14-02-2008 Nis: Could you talk about what you did in Iraq when you lived there? Zakia: At first i worked, then I got married, we had three children and I was a housewife. My husband was a Ph.D., highly educated, our economy was good. We had a fish farm back in the 1980´ties. Then came the Iran-Iraq war. War is everywhere a catastrophe that brings depression; socially, economically, emotionally. Back then it was not as hard as today, the war was not in the city and the everyday worked - not perfect, but we could live our lives. But we were personally hit and lost a son 19 years old in the war. It is now almost 30 years ago, but it still lies heavy on things. The world went black after that. We couldn't get away, and my husband couldn't leave because of his political background. We were forced to help our other son to escape from Iraq, for him not also to end up in war. After 8 years of war it was a relief that it ended. Just as our lives was starting to return to normal again Saddam started the invasion of Kuwait. This had big consequences on the people of Iraq and on us. Many were made orphanages, women became single parent which is a special problem because women in general are dependent on their husbands in Iraq. It became hard to get something to eat, there was a constant lack of supplies. People with the highest educations started leaving; doctors, scientists, artists - those who could contribute to society. They left because of the war but also because Saddam didn't like them as they were harder to control. Nis: So it was because of the invasion that the intellectuals started leaving and the climate changed? Zakia: Yes Saddam controlled food and medicine. Saddam was getting richer and richer, but people poorer and the standards of living fell. The economic sanctions didn't affect Saddam at all only the population. It was Saddam that should have been removed it was his fault that we lost our country. Before the first Golf War people mainly escaped for political reasons, after - it was also for social and economic reasons. We decided to leave to give our children better conditions, schools were bad, the economy, we disagreed with Saddam's politics. There were many inexplicable diseases after the chemical bombs. This was in 1993. It was not easy to go to an unknown world, we lost almost everything. We travelled to Denmark because my son and daughter lived there. It was hard, another life and mentality. We had a large house, 2 cars and a high standard of living, and came to the asylum centre where we lived the whole family in a 2 room apartment for 1 1/2 years Nis: I would like to hear about women's role in society and how it has changed recently Zakia: Before the whole population was repressed, both men and women. But the positive thing was that women could dress as they wanted. Now we hear from the media and from friends in Iraq that if a woman is walking down the street without a scarf she will be killed, murdered. This also happens within university. A man and a woman was killed because they sat on the same bench and talked together. Many had been forced to wear a scarf. The daughter in law: This reminds me of a story that my father told: He was studying in the university before he fled in 1978. As he told it, it was wonderful to go to university, women wore the latest fashion and miniskirts. Three years ago he went back to visit his mother and friends. He also visited the university and was shocked to learn that most women wore scarf's. Only very few didn't, but were covered in some other way. He was expecting a fashion show (laughter) Nis: Culturally its a step backwards? Daughter in law: Yes its a big step backwards also in relation to women's rights. The schools used to be mixed, men and women. Now they have been forced to separate people. This has happened mainly after 2003 and for one reason because Iran has interfered in the country. Nis: Can women take part in public debates? Zakia: Free speech for women is not really happening. Those who have the most power are Islamic parties that are against women's freedom and free speech. Some Islamic parties interpret Islam in a way that women are inferior to men, this is a problematic reading. Women's conditions now in Iraq is a catastrophe. Many women live below the poverty line because they don't have a husband. It is difficult getting a job. Many women in Iraq are both mum and dad and because the economy is bad they cannot make enough money to buy the most basic things that a child needs like food, diapers... Society had started looking at women in a different way, because of people who use religion as an excuse to take us 100 years back, now women have to stay at home wear a scarf etc Interview with Kufani at The Danish National Gallery, 16th of February 2008 M. Mahdi Alturaihi (Kufani) Visual artist, calligrapher, photographer Born in alkufa Iraq, 1970. Lives in Sakskøbing, Denmark Nis; Can you tell about the media situation in Iraq and the Middle East? Kufani: If something happens in Iraq I go to Al Jazeera. They have the news instantly. On other Arabic channels the news are slower, maybe without translation, with graphical problems og poor images. Al Jazeera has also opened a channel in English. There are three major television channels: Al Jazeera from Qatar, Al Arabia from Saudi Arabia and a Lebanese channel. In Lebanon they have had a more free and open society so artists and writers went there, this again affects the news and the general cultural climate there. Al Arabia and other stations are speaking against Shia and are thereby contributing to a polarization and increased conflict between Sunni and Shia. This creates big problems for people in Iraq. It is very negative. There is by the way also an American run station in Arabic with Iraqi dialect; Al-Hurra "The Free One" (there is also a version covering the whole Middle East). This station of course supports USA's policy in Iraq and democratization in the Middle East. It broadcasts 24 hour a day and was started 3-4 years ago. Local media and news are very much about daily problems like getting gas, electricity, water and about the rise in prices, nothing about culture and art A lot of things are not working in Iraq, but the media are working 100%. If something is wrong everybody goes to watch television. If something needs to change then the media needs to change too. [.....] Kufani: Which Arabic or Danish media in Arabic tells about what Danes or Europeans think without mediation? for example about the Mohammed cartoons right now? People go to media in the language they understand the best, that could be Arabic media like Al Jazeera, Al Arabia or Internet media. But they only get the story seen through a lot of indirect sources, not directly, and most likely not seen from a Danish perspective or in a Danish context. [.....] Kufani: Previously many Arabic speaking foreigners used www.dr.dk, where you could get sound and articles in Arabic. But about three years ago this was cancelled (the languages were as I recall; Arabic, Somali, Farsi and other languages). Here you could get an image of what happened in Denmark today. This exchange is now missing, and this is very important because a lot of people don't understand Danish well enough to read the news. [.....] Nis: How did the media operate in Iraq in the beginning of the war? Kufani: In the beginning the media disappeared, and nobody knew what was going on, also because the power went away. But people find other possibilities like running radio and TV of car batteries. For me as an Iraqi living in Denmark Al Jazeera was my main source of information. They broadcasted directly from Baghdad during the time. Back then there were few independent Arabic newspages on the internet. USA made a propaganda TV station in Arabic in Iraq and other places, with messages on not to fight, surrender without fighting, this channel stopped approximately a month after the invasion. [...] Kufani: Today we need international media, dealing with Arabic culture. The focus of news from the Middle East has almost solemnly been on conflict and war, but Arabic culture has interest and relevance for many other people than Arabs.