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Jens Haaning
interview with Jens
Haaning by Nicolas Bourriaud
Nicolas Bourriaud
: Why are you mainly working with immigrants, marginals or clandestinity
?
J.H. : When I started the "Weapon production" in Hundige Denmark,
I had not decided that I wanted mainly immigrants to work in the
production. The first day, there were 3 Danes and 1 Chilean but
gradually, as the production made progress, there were more immigrants.
The work was taking place on voluntary basis, some only had inclination
to work a couple of days, some had other things to take cake of.
About 10 persons were participating on and off, during the 14 days
the production was going on. The immigrants were most diligent to
show up and it was my impression that they very easily could identify
themselves with the project or me. Some of the immigrants who were
participating had a past as gangbangers which implies criminality
and carelessness with weapons, and in a way the project became an
extension of their own life. It is my opinion that there is a point
of resemblance between the part an artist is playing in society
and the part an immigrant has, but I also think that I had such
a good contact to the guys in the production because we share the
same aggressions towards society and dislike of assigning to its
norms. I want to mention that, although I live and work in the culture
that is my cultural background, I always had difficulties with my
own integration and often ended on the wrong side of the law or
had opinions that were inconsistent with the norms of society. I
have been dealing with clandestinity in my works, basically I have
sold weapons and prescription bound medicine (psychological medicine)
as art. The motivation for these works have, in addition to the
aggression that lies in them, also been a wish to create a very
direct and concrete tense relation between the arts isolated room
and the "reality".
N.B. : Who is the artist in relation to the world of marginality
?
J.H. : The artist is in a way a kind of a marginal and have similarities
with other marginals as immigrants, but the big difference is that
the artist in contrast to the immigrants works as a media for the
society, a lot of attention is paid to what the artist has to say
with his work or words, but it happens rarely that, for example,
a believing Muslim is asked to comment on our society.
N.B. : Is violence necessary ? Why do you deal with it ?
J.H. : My works are not only about violence and power but in equal
degree about powerlessness and desperation. And to the question
if violence is necessary, I must answer that I am in no way supporter
of violence between people. In our co-existence, we are very confounded
to emotions that are expressed violently. In our focusing on the
actual physical action, we forget to pay attention to the expressions
and emotions behind these physical actions. Violence is for me a
way of taking responsibility for one's own life even if it is in
a criticisable way.
N.B. : What attracts you in the process of making art ?
J.H. : The most important for me in the process of making art is
that is a field where I can express my questions and doubts on public
matters and my own existence.
Published in Documents sur l'art no. 8. 1996
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