iraqi memorial exhibition proposal

h"p://www.iraqimemorial.org Project exhibi8on proposal

2,819 innocent Americans died in the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001. Â

5,201 memorial proposals were submitted to the World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition in 2003. http://www.tcsitememorial.org

“Operation Iraqi Freedom” Estimated Iraqi deaths:

2005 GW Bush mentions civilian deaths Iraq:

30,000

2010 Iraqbodycount.org:

95, 428-104,119

2006 Lancet Study Iraqi deaths:

654,965

2007 Opinion Research Business, UK

1.2 million

Will there ever be a memorial to the innocent civilians who have died in the War in Iraq?

Who is remembered?

Who is mourned?

Who is responsible?

How do we, as artists, choose to respond?

Project Description Created in November 2007 by media artist and activist Joseph DeLappe, iraqimemorial.org is an online exhibition and ongoing call for artists, designers, architects and other interested creative individuals/collaborators to propose memorial concepts for the many thousands of Iraqi civilians killed during the War in Iraq.

Mission Statement The purpose of this project is to honor and commemorate the deaths of thousands of civilians killed since the commencement of "Operation Iraqi Freedom" on March 19, 2003; to establish an Internet archive of all proposed concepts as a living memorial; to mobilize an international community of artists to contribute proposals that will represent a collective expression of memory, unity and peace; to encourage the vigilance of contemporary memory in a time of war; to stimulate an understanding of the consequences and costs of "the War on Terror"; to support the moral imperative of recognizing the deaths of Iraqi civilians; and to create a context for the initiation of a process of symbolic, creative atonement.

Online Project Statistics  184 proposals 171 participating artists and architects Proposals from 35 countries An average of 10,000-15,000 site visits per month since 2007 project launch 350,000 estimated total site visitors

Artists are invited to upload two images or videos and their written proposal and bio information to the site. The public is invited to rate each proposal and leave comments.

Juror’s Reviews Two slates of international jurors were invited to review the iraqimemorial.org proposals and establish personal top ten lists of entries, for there is no winner of this speculative competition. Results of the two “Juror’s Reviews” were posted online on March 19, 2008 and 2009, to coincide with the anniversary of the start date of “Operation Iraqi Freedom” in 2003. 59 proposals have been recognized for excellence by the two “Juror Reviews.” These 59 projects are featured in the physical exhibition of iraqimemorial.org.

2008 First Juror's Review Yaelle Amir, independent curator, New York City Dr. Bernadette Buckley, Goldsmiths University, London, UK Monica Narula & Shuddhabrata Sengupta, Raqs Media Collective, India Dr. David Simpson, University of California, Davis John Spiak, Curator, Arizona State University Art Museum, AZ Dr. Marjorie Vecchio, Director, Sheppard Fine Arts Gallery, UNR, Reno, NV 2009 Second Juror’s Review Muhammed Abdulla, artist, United Kingdom Cassandra Coblentz, Curator, Scottsdale Museum of Contempary Art, AZ Julian Hunt, Architect, Hunt/Laud Studio, Washington, DC Ann Wolfe, Curator, Nevada Museum of Art, Reno, NV Raul Zamudio, Independent Curator and Critic, New York City

iraqimemorial.org Exhibition February 16, 2010 – March 12, 2010 Sheppard Fine Arts Gallery University of Nevada, Reno

iraqimemorial.org exhibition Sheppard Fine Arts Gallery 2010

59 artists chosen through the “Juror’s Reviews” were invited to recreate their proposals as 30x40 inch boards for display (identical to the boards submitted to the WTC Memorial Competition). Select video works and objects went on display, and computers in the center of the gallery allowed direct access to iraqimemorial.org.

The exhibition opening was preceded by a symposium featuring two panels of jurors, artists and the project director, Joseph DeLappe.

Gallery walk-through discussion prior to the symposium.

Proposals are mounted to the wall using a temporary hanging system.

Computer stations allow for individual access to the project.

Tony Allard performing “And Counting…” during the opening reception

The following images are examples of the Juror’s Review selections recreated as proposal boards for the exhibition.

Juror’s Review Selec8on

My Space for Your Life

by Jack Toolin Ongoing Performance/Social Media Volunteers will sign up as stand-ins for Iraqi civilian casualties. Each participant has their picture taken holding a sign with a victim’s name, and the image becomes a profile photo for a new Facebook account.

Juror’s Review Selec8on

The Garden of Reminders

by Carlo Drago Installation/Social Media People affected by the loss of Iraqi civilians will be invited to share a memory of that person online. The memories will be printed from installed printers suspended from the ceiling, and the pages will fill the gallery at random like falling leaves.

Juror’s Review Selec8on

Iraqi War Memorial

by Andrea Stanislav Intervention/Video Sculpture The names of all the Iraqi civilians killed during “Operation Iraqi Freedom” will be projected onto the Washington Monument and cascade down like water. This can be repeated on various monuments around the United States.

Iraqimemorial.org is truly international in scope.

Artists throughout the United States and abroad are involved in the project. We look to involve artists living in proximity to potential exhibition locations to consider participating in artist’s presentations, symposia or further realizing their projects as part of the travelling exhibition.

In 2011, the exhibition is scheduled to travel open in April at Works/San Jose, San Jose, California and at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts Project Space in New York City in November.

We are currently exploring the possibility of creating a book documenting the iraqimemorial.org project to include exhibition documentation and critical essays by artists, jurors and invited scholars.

Contact Information Joseph DeLappe Associate Professor of Digital Media University of Nevada (775) 784-6624 delappe@unr.edu delappe@iraqimemorial.org http://www.iraqimemorial.org http://www.delappe.net