Artist, Eran Shakine presents an interesting initiative with the Munich municipality that took place just recently, following his "A Muslim A Christian and A Jew" exhibition, that is currently on view at the Munich Jewish Museum. I thought it will be interesting for you to watch.>>> also attached is the initiative and the exhibition brochure.
Artist statement about the billboard initiative:
These two figures, a boy and a girl, are like screens onto which we can project every boy and every girl, as well as the boy and girl within us, or the boy and girl we were. The appearance of the two figures in public space in the form of a billboard, has a universal aspect to it, which invites us to think about the human condition beyond given differences, but at the same time, each figure is like a specific social code.
A careful examination of each of their attributes affiliates the figures with a concrete social section of a concrete ethnic minority.
Both the boy and the girl seem to have curly hair, identifiable with African minorities in Europe and the U.S. The girl spins a hula hoop; she is metaphorically trapped inside a limited framed space and can only spin around herself. The boy holds a ball in one hand, while the other hand is in his pocket. Both figures are confined to the stereotype of the African-American minority as sportsmen. In addition, by keeping his hand in the pocket, the boy’s posture projects passivity and despair.
The text written around the bottom part of each of the figures brings the image from the order of social representation, back to the universal, all-human level. The text speaks about love, resonating the cross-border need and desire to love and be loved.
Short video clip coming soon!