Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin re-enact interviews of six anonymous refugees and their sufferings in a video installation by South African artist Candice Breitz, who explores the reaction of audiences to real suffering compared to their reaction to celebrities, ANA reports.
The seven-channel video installation juxtaposes the firsthand account of refugees to the universal allure of celebrities, based on a description provided by the Athens Festival, part of the annual Greek Festival.
In the first section of the exhibit, a seven-channel installation will enable visitors to “watch an accessible ‘drama’ performed by two Hollywood stars, Julianne Moore and Alec Baldwin, re-enacting excerpts from the interviews of six refugees. The fast-paced montage strips the intimate testimonies of their depth, complexity and nuances, turning them into a facile, mainstream product meant for popular consumption.”
In the second section, viewers can watch the original, uncut interview footage of refugees and migrants, “including the shocking story of 23-year-old Sarah Mardini from Syria. In 2015, Mardini crossed the sea between Turkey and Lesbos, saving 18 of her fellow Syrians from drowning,” the show description notes. It adds, “The next year, she returned to Lesvos to aid activist groups and last year she was arrested, charged with refugee smuggling, an arrest that was met with international reactions.”
Info:
- Exhibition opens at 19:00, May 30, and will run to June 30.
- Hours, 19:00-24:00.
- Entrance is free to the public; the artist will attend the inauguration on May 30.
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