United colours 2002

This installation was produced for the Big Torino 2002, International Biennale of Young Art, curated by Michaelangelo Pistoletto.

The installation United Colours combines a line of beautifully coloured ribbons, which are, in fact, military commemorative war-ribbons from around the world – with twelve black-and-white portraits of young people photographed in the style of Benetton advertising campaigns, and a book with text about the history of the ribbons. 

In this work I draw the viewer's critical attention to questions relating to a world history of violence, domination and exploitation and that of a current emerging global economy. 

Furthermore, the kind of images produced by the mass media and advertising in promoting it's products to a global market. Also, the kind of identities produced and created by such an industry. I see myself as part of a younger generation of people faced with such questions and having to negotiate between a history fraught with political struggle, violence and injustices and thinking about the kind of identities and morals we would, and could, assume in this particular moment.

Antwerp, 2002