Emma Bunch-Benson
11/30/15
Art & Social Practice
MAX
Project
For
my project I decided to start dialogue about the recent attacks in Paris with
riders on the MAX. At first my approach was to use a visual sign for people to
write their thoughts and opinions on and talk to me about the attack but I
decided that I wanted to approach other people without it and just ask people I
chose to about it and just talk and record their ideas as best as I could and
not make it obvious it’s for an Art class (even though it is kind of ) and
because for my topic I feel most people will respond more with this approach.
Most often when these things happen people aren’t going to approach you and
start talking because they don’t want to really discuss it, or look at it as
much until you inspire them with your own thoughts and words as well as in a
way force them to talk by going to them first. As far as conversations, because
most people got off after a few stops, because of time asking to record, time
to think of response, my conversations weren’t as long as they could have been
and some were longer than others. And length also depended on the person and
how much they chose to share with me-a complete stranger-even though…the issue
effects the entire world, and were all in the same boat in some senses. Most of
what I got was going on the MAX outside of class, and somehow I knew that’s
where I’d be most successful. Something about doing it with the class was not
working. When it comes to this project, I chose to focus on a difficult
subject/the subject of the attacks because it’s been a very personal important
topic in my life that I wanted to talk about more and connect with others more
and bring attention to more and see different perspectives on. I also knew
because it’s so recent and huge my chances of people talking to me about it
even somewhat were higher than if I were focusing on another subject. I also
believe the subject has more intrigue to it for participants and viewers than
some other things in the world I could have discussed. I wanted to make a point
that things this terrible happen in our world and a lot. And often we don’t
like to really truly look at them or face them because were so caught up in our
own little worlds and because maybe we aren’t effected how other people
elsewhere are. But it’s real and happening. Maybe part of things like this is
we don’t think they’ll happen to us even though that’s what everyone who’s ever
been attacked or killed thinks before they are. And maybe part of things like this is accepting
attacks like this as normal or inevitable or something in the world is because we feel too powerless to change anything and becasue we dont believe things will change when they havnt so far. Maybe part of things like this is its too painful for us to really feel or look at things that are important. maybe part of this is about bigger issues than surface stuff. If we don’t start seeing that theres problems we can’t help and only do
ourselves harm-If we don’t start doing things differently than we have
been this whole time and fighting for our humanity we will lose the only thing we got. And maybe too if we don’t change ourselves-work on ourselves and personal lives
and understandings in all the ways we can, maybe the world can’t be changed by
us in the best way it can anyway
I
essentially left it pretty open ended and asked what they thought about the
attacks and some of what has been being focused on around the world and how
they saw it.
Quotes/words
from interviews
-
Attacks
like the ones in Paris are committed to purposely trigger an Islamophobia
backlash. That backlash is not an unintended consequence of such attacks, it is
part of their logic. ISIS types want an Islamophobia backlash because it lends
credence to their narrative that there is a war between the West and Islam. By
strengthening and emboldening the xenophobic right-wing in Europe, they
strengthen their own worldview as well. And the most tragic irony is that that
backlash may target refugees who themselves had been fleeing ISIS' reign of
terror. All my thoughts are with everyone in Paris. Anyone who wishes to
ignite a world war or of civilizations should be defeated.
-
This
is probably harsh but when you give an organization like this somewhat
opportunity because of a slow approach people shouldn’t be surprised about Paris
happening as terrible as it is.
-
The targets of these attacks are NEVER the far-right media
outlets, political organizations or personalities that actually practice
Islamophobia, because those guys are the extremists' soul-mates. They would be
nothing without each other.
-
...the bad guys would continue to kill regardless...quit blaming
conservatives for the atrocities of Islamic extremists. Islamophobia exists not
because of the peaceful, but because of the murderous hoards attempting to fundamentally
transform the world!
-
The world has been at war for aeons. This is not new! Simply one
man against another is war in itself. So there is a far bigger picture here at
play. I’m deeply saddened by the most recent attack but find myself thinking
all the way back to the start-thinking why this occurs in our world at all more
than anything
-
What happened needs attention but terrorist attacks
like this cause everyone to forget about all the other issues going on in the
world like water conservation and climate change-the focus is being taken off,
and I really believe that. I believe we cant really solve any of the other
world problems going on if we don't first have a healthy planet and take care
of this major issue and something that is inevitably going to keep happening
and is already been devastating.
-
Europe
today is in crisis -- much greater crisis than France. The social fabric of
Europe is coming apart. The Eurozone is not going to crumble, I don’t think we
are going to see lots of countries leave Europe. What it means to be Europe,
the idea of shared values that matter more than just the economic interests of
creating a common market -- that is going away and so is the transatlantic
relationship, which is at its weakest -- the alliance -- at any point certainly
since the Soviet Union has crumbled …
"This is an attack not just on Paris, its an attack not just on the people of France, its an attack on all of humanity and the universal values we share" -Obama
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