An undated
handout image of Steven Day's digital print "Democratie
ist lustig,
(Democracy is funny)", part of the "Emergency Room" art exhibit
in
By Karina
Huber
More than 30 artists are
participating in "Emergency Room," a multimedia exhibit staged in the
city's
If an artist fails to meet
the daily
"We tried to show that
an artist can work fast and make a masterpiece," said Thierry Geoffroy, creator of the exhibit, who said he came up with
the concept after growing frustrated by his inability to express himself while
watching the news.
"Contemporary art has
a one- or two-year delay," said the French-born artist. "You cannot
express fast, so I decided to start a system where I could express the same
day."
The stories artists choose
must present an emergency or have long-lasting implications, and they must
present a point of view. While criticism of the Bush administration is
permitted, no direct critiques of President George W. Bush are allowed, Geoffroy said.
"That would be too
easy," he said.
One recent piece depicted
the face of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spray-painted on a piece of cloth inscribed
with the words, "I'm The Decider."
Another
piece, created by
Premo said he created the project in
response to news about a U.S. Department of Homeland Security plan to force
foreigners to provide imprints of 10, instead of two, fingers when they arrive
in the
While not all the artists
submit a piece each day of the exhibit, which runs until March 19, Premo does, rising each morning at 6:30 a.m. to scour
newspapers for a suitable story and create an animated piece. "Then I get
in my car and drive here as quickly as I can," the artist said.
That immediacy is what Geoffroy wants to promote.
"When the artist sees
something that doesn't work in the democracy, for example misuse of power,
propaganda strategy, he has to inform the public very fast," he said.
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