REQUEST FOR ASYLUM V.1.2., 2018 is a proposal letter for collaboration between countries to solve mass migration issues. Based on the different ideas of various philosophers. It is combining the cultural en environmental crises. Those who we are experiencing today. It has been a common problem in our short-term history. It is considering the solutions that the letter presents. Therefore practised for similar situations by other countries with equal cultures.
A proposal letter towards the Syrian population to create a social contract with the Dutch community. The full letter REQUEST FOR ASYLUM V.1.2 can be read here: here
During this specific exhibition organised by Francesca Sand – ACTION HYBRID, I decided to present my work differently. Since the creation of the letter in 2017 and the piece is presented again today in a light that is not a hot item anymore in the news.
I decided to look for old techniques to present important messages.
It led me to the idea of a postcard, an urgent message, with the option of a personal note. During this specific exposition, I confronted the people not only with the question of what does this mean to me, who do I send my proposal to, which added a new layer that presents the issue of physical location and the importance of the digital web.
To be more concrete, I have studied Rousseau his social contract. It is a contract no longer created by governments. But by local communities and individuals. To keep each other in line and create a new shape of trust and collaboration. At the moment that the work formed its creation. The contract was the base for the curator at the Venice Art Biennial 2015.
Learning about Bergson ‘fantoms’ makes it clear to me that there is more to a situation. Then just the personal memory that we experience. Deleuze offered the perception in this particular thought; his essay about immigrants made a lot of my questions answered and raised new ones that created this proposal.
When we let down all our fears, smile about the good things of our cultures and religions, the grounds we live on and exploit our talents. When we consider the facts that nature is giving us, we should know better. We all want the same. But we have a different vision in achieving it. As long that we feel open to change, we can work on this together.
A mass is by Nietzsche defined as one or a hundred; this means that I can speak for my people just as much as you can. All individual action makes the change in the bigger picture.
We should not forget that we are not alone, but we are constrained by our conditioned minds, as Pavlov describes. Also, Allain de Botton refers to the fact that we the propagation by the news. We receive information and feel obligated to act on that, because of the fantoms of our history.
Because the proposal REQUEST FOR ASYLUM V.1.2 written in the name of ‘the Dutch people’. It is, therefore, any longer based on information proposed by governments. Based on the information in the streets. It speaks that we should open up our minds. To look behind the flesh and search into the souls of the beings around us. Above all, to connect to create new lifelines of support.
Printed letter: 5m x 1m Postcard: 20cm x 10,5cm Made in 2016
Exhibited:
‘Angst’ – Action Hybride– La ChapeleParis 2018
‘Relational Aesthetics of some perfect strangers’ – ENSBA Paris 2016
Published:
‘Catalogus EINREAL‘ – Germany 2016
Studio Wendy Nouse 