Addressing the Americans, Part One

Kristina Leko, 2004/05
55'50'' DV
Single channel video (unlimited edition) / two-channel video installation (edition 3+2)
In several languages, no subtitles, on-screen text in English

The work was created in the framework of the International Studio Program of the ACC Gallery Weimar and the City of Weimar and was produced with the support of both institutions.

Collection/s: National Museum of Modern Art Zagreb Croatia


Context / Artists Note

The video was created during a week-long action in the city park of Weimar (Constitutional Overhaul Bureau, 2004, see under public space projects), when I was engaging passers-by and asking them to help me save the world by improving the US Constitution. I offered them to record their political messages addressed to USA politicians or the people of the USA.

Description of the video

One by one we see thirty-six people speaking in their native language, in German, English, Dutch, but also in Urdu, Japanese and an African language, about US politics and the current world situation in the summer of 2004. The identity of each speaker is protected by a white, red, or blue rectangle added in the image processing over the speaker's face. In between the speakers' appearances, the screen shows various suprematist compositions of white, red, and blue rectangles. At the beginning of the video, the following text appears in English:

The people you will see in this video wanted to share their thoughts with an American audience. I promised them that I would send the DVDs to a selection of USA politicians. As I met with people, I realized that some were afraid to record their video statements, so I had to offer to edit the video in a way that would protect their identities. About 20% of the participants did not think it was necessary to put identity protection masks over their faces. 80% wanted their identities protected. As I recorded people speaking in their native language, I realized that even though I did not speak the language, I was able to understand what the person was saying and what their political views were. This made me decide not to subtitle the video, but to kindly ask you, dear audience, to make an extremely valuable effort and try to understand the language you do not understand.

Note on display: This video work has been presented as either a one- or two-channel video installation. In the case of the latter, the statements spoken in the European languages are shown in one video projection with their sound presented through headphones. The statements recorded in non-European languages are shown in the other simultaneous video projection, with their sound present in the room. The text from the beginning of the video (quoted above) appears as a wall text and is part of the installation.

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