Anita Jung worked during her residency at Proyecto´ace in October 2005 on the future installation that she will present in the Polyglot room. The work was carried out entirely in Buenos Aires in the ´ace and Visual Production workshops.

The 10-station Via Crucis installation was cut into vinyl aluminized by the CNC system, with images of traditional North American houses on which shadows of images of old illustrations from the tale Hansel and Gretel are shed – these made on plates of transparent acrylic, laser cut openwork – and are visualized by projecting light producing a dialogue between images printed on vinyl aluminum and the projected Hansel and Gretel shadows.

The work is completed with a stark text that recounts minute by minute the development of Hurricane Katrina and the unpredictability of the President Bush government to avoid its irreparable losses.

The artist uses digital technology and graphic resources in an innovative way – “printing” with light on the walls – while making a strong political statement about the reality of her country.

ARTIST’S TESTIMONY

My works of art generally discuss the role of women and the domestic sphere. They are not typically open political statements. However, the inconclusive 2000 presidential elections in the United States of America changed the United States and the world in ways that were never considered possible. The 2004 election was an unforgivable act of treason that exposed both ignorance and fear. The August tragedies are simply several in a long succession of heartbreaking events occurring or taking place in the United States. Catastrophic events continue to unfold.

In this exhibition, I present images from the children’s story of “Hansel and Gretel” that overshadow descriptions of typical American homes with text describing the government response to the hurricane that occurred in late August. Although this exhibition presents the timeline of specific events, it is not just about the ravages of Katrina, it is about the loss of the “American dream”, a dream that no longer seems probable, a dream that for many was never possible, especially if You were born poor and black. This exhibition is about waking up and discovering that the dream of identity building was just a fairy tale.