Oliver Griem: divine mercy
Title:
- divine mercy
Artist(s) and People Involved:
Exhibiting Artist(s):
Symposium:
Venue(s):
Medium:
- Installation & multi channel video
Artist Statement:
For several years I was living just a few 100 meters away from the Yongsan US- army base. The army base covers about 2.6 square kilometers and is located near the Han river right in the middle of Seoul. The helicopters going back and forth between the Yongsan garrison and other US-army bases where a daily routine. Every time tensions got complicated between North- and South-Korea, the fear that war could brake out also was a part of every day live.
In the Yongsan army base facebook-feed I came across an advertisement that announced the screening of a documentary called “the original image of divine mercy” at Yongsan army base. The documentary deals with a painting that originates from the visions of catholic saint Maria Kowalska, it shows Jesus with red and white light rays emerging from his heart. The image for the facebook announcement however didn’t show the original painting, but showed an US soldier in combat gear on the ground looking at a Chinook transport helicopter that hovers in front of an orange sunset. That advertisement gave a main inspiration for creating this work.
My work shows an imagined part of the Yongsan garrison. Some soldiers are enjoying a bbq meal, others are sitting in front of their computers dreaming, children in halloween costumes are running around for trick & treat. There is a part of the Korean neighborhood, where a Korean right wing protester build his tent on the street waving a Korean & American flag. Above all a chinook helicopter hovers in the air. A guy in halloween costume with gas-mask leaning out the side-door. Most of the soldiers on the ground are astonished and staring at the hovering helicopter, one of them is opening his arms in expectation of a holy miracle.
