Chamber of horrors
11:50am
After a flood of criticism from many quarters, the latest controversial installation by the Spanish artist Santiago Sierra has today been suspended, writes Luke Harding in Berlin.
This morning the local mayor in the small German town of Pulheim announced that he had temporarily stopped Sierra's project - a homemade gas chamber set up in a former synagogue.
On Monday Jewish groups furiously protested against the installation, describing it as "scandalous", "despicable" and "an abuse of artistic freedom". Sierra is now going to travel to Germany from his home in Mexico to discuss the work with his Jewish critics, Pulheim's spokesman, Dirk Springob, said. "We're going to suspend the project for two weeks," he added.
Sierra had parked six cars outside the synagogue and attached their exhaust pipes to the building using a series of 80-metre long plastic tubes. The synagogue was then filled with deadly gas. Visitors last weekend were invited to go inside wearing a gas mask. A firefighter escorted them inside one by one. Before being allowed in, they had to sign a disclaimer making clear they realised the room was full of carbon monoxide.
The project opened to the public on Sunday - sparking huge queues, and mixed reactions - with some visitors describing the experience as "brutal and moving", and others complaining that it was too "in your face". According to Sierra, the installation - entitled 245 cubic metres -was a protest against the "banalisation of the Holocaust".
This is not the first time Sierra has deliberately courted controversy. His previous stunts have included tattooing the backs of drug-addicted prostitutes, spraying Iraqi immigrants with foam, and walling someone up for 15 days in the corner of an art gallery.
German Jewish groups have been unimpressed, however, calling the installation "a scandal" and "an insult to the entire Jewish community". Maybe Sierra really has gone too far this time.
Nawabdin Electrician by Daniyal Mueenuddin
It’s amazing how quickly some memories can fade, disappearing forever into the back of our minds while others, more familiar, occupy our thoughts almost daily. For me it is usually those long forgotten memories that, when recalled for whatever unforeseen reason, bring the most joy. Perhaps it’s because they have been safely tucked away, unadultered by fanciful detail over the years. After all, memories are simply memories of memories of memories.
Recently, while reading Daniyal Mueenuddin’s Nawabdin Electrician, I was reminded of a period of my childhood that I’ve tried to not only forget but to completely erase. Ironically it was a time in my life when I felt very secure, very lucky; it was a happy childhood and I was surrounded by both loving families and wonderful friends in my local Muslim community.
Midway through Mueenuddin’s piece I suddenly felt my heart grow heavy, and as I read the passage about the mother making parathas with brown sugar syrup goose flesh covered my arms and neck. Without knowing it I had stopped reading. A distant, lonely memory had crept upon me and was now revealing itself as I sat there in reverie. My heart beating faster, I could smell the warm ghee and flour in Raheela Auntie’s expansive kitchen, could feel the heat of the warming skillets waiting to be covered by soft, flat discs of dough. Mian Uncle, his hair awry, sat to my left at the kitchen table recounting his very first journey to the South American rain forest in his familiar quick, excited voice while Raheela Auntie went through her list of ingredients for me in Urdu.
Though brief, this moment of nostalgia affected me deeply. It was at once calming and upsetting for it reminded me of the family that had taken me in, accepting and caring for me as their own; the same family that is now so far away, out of reach due to the “choices” I have made in my life. Through the years I have become a much more confident individual, capable of thinking for myself, supporting myself and capable of caring deeply for others. Regardless of my lifestyle, knowing that they had helped to instill in me these values that I now cherish would I know bring joy to Auntie and Uncle Shah just as my fleeting memory of that summer afternoon in their kitchen has brought me joy.
Though I have done it before, online dating is still somewhat of a mystery to me. Navigating those waters can in fact be even more precarious and challenging than trying to find Mr. Right at a dimly lit, stuffy, gay bar. After talking online for about a week, IJC and I finally met up for a “Meet & Greet” coffee date last night. I had spotted him on Jdate about a year ago, sent him a message but never received a response. Upon joining another site recently I once again came across his profile and thought I would give getting his attention another go. I've quickly come to look forward to our morning chats, his "good morning :)" is always a welcome distraction from financial models and journal articles on bankruptcy law. Our conversations usually end with one of us saying “wow, have we really been chatting for over an hour?", fortunately this was also the case when we finally met last night.
It was at 51st and 5th at around 18.30 that we met. After the initial, and somewhat shy/nervous "how are you's" we walked over to Dean and Deluca for a coffee. The early autumn weather lent itself to a late evening stroll so we slowly began to wander around the city, sipping our coffees and chatting with little attention devoted to time or direction. Later, we found ourselves sitting by the fountains in Columbus Circle, which is absolutely beautiful at night. Before we knew it, it was 20.30 and IJC had to meet friends for dinner up the street. Before parting he asked if I would like to see him again over the weekend. Little did he know I was jumping up and down inside like a girl with a teenie-bopper, bubble-gum crush.
First impressions: he’s fun, well traveled, intelligent, witty, seems very kind and caring and stunningly handsome. I think what attracts me to him the most is the smile that he always has on his face. It’s nice to have someone initiate conversation and seem genuinely interested in you and he does just that. I’d like to think that he truly is a really sweet guy and his interest is genuine but we have just met and it’s often difficult to gauge one’s interest based on a handful of gchat conversations. That said, I’m already looking forward to seeing him again this weekend and getting to know him more.
When whatever you want to do cannot be done,
When nothing is of any use;
—At this hour when night comes down,
When night comes, dragging its long face,
dressed in mourning,
Be with me
My tormenter, my love, be near me.
vonshui : i sent a lame text message saying "i would prefer to postpone our evening out tonight until we've had a chance to talk."
vonshui : which says, "you're in the big fucking shit house mother fucker."
MusIque > Diplo – Amazon (Diplo Remix)
MusIque > Fujiya & Miyagi – Photocopier
Musique > Hollertronix – Never Scared
Musique > Cassius – Toop Toop ( Cassius Reggae Rock Mix)
Musique > Bonobo - Silver
