Collection > War

Direct confrontation with war and violence is naturally perplexing. Immediate disgust articulates itself in the body as violent actions and feelings of empathy move towards innocent victims. With its all-consuming presence, the violence of war continuously prevents us from thinking for ourselves. It requires a type of distancing, otherwise known as alienation, between us and “the other.” However, behind this “other” is an imperceivable abyss of misrepresentation. Perhaps it is because of this cacophony of aggression and greed that we feel deep wounds within our contemporary selves; an arduous condition that seems almost impossible to illustrate or comprehend. This distancing, felt both internally and externally, has created a ground for deep rooted social isolation and the displacement of desire, as described by Lacan.

In the midst of these tense situations, the media only assists in our alienation by bombarding us with every form and detail of human crises. It should be remembered that the media functions by focusing on one specific global crisis at a time in order to limit visibility, gain further control over disseminated information and marginalize other vital issues that inform the larger context of global politics. We are entrapped by a dense wall of distraction and euphemism composed of endless systemic violence. This sharp wall reflects the rhetoric and pedagogy that is recited to us, gradually wearing down independent forms of thought and understanding.