GUANTANAMERA / The deaf song, 2009, L.E.O. Akademie der Künste Berlin
Guantanamera (Spanish: “from Guantánamo [feminine]”, thus “woman from Guantánamo”)
At the Pariser Platz in Berlin, where once in the history different armies marched and sang their songs, where today different party’s and events take place where banks, embassies (including the USA) are located. Next to them in the Akademie der Künste took place the exhibition called Embedded Art.
As a reaction and warning to the inhumane handling of war prisoners in Guantanamo, in one Democratic State (USA), on the glass facade of the Akademie der Künste, was conceived and realized the work GUANTANAMERA at 39 square meters (3mx13m).
White letters on the orange background (the colors of the prisoners uniform) flowed from right to left on the video wall.
Everyone who visited Pariser Platz was confronted with the “deaf song”. You could see and read the verses of the song on the video wall but you could not hear it. The song only played in the head.
GUANTAN-AMERA
GUAJIRA
GUANTAN-AMERA
GUANTAN-AMERAAAAAAAA
GUAJIRA
GUANTAN-AMERAAAAAAAA
