Wafaa Bilal Lecture Questions/responces

Artist lecture: Wafaa Bilal

http://www.wafaabilal.com/index.html

two questions for him:

Your work seems to feed off this idea that numerous individuals need to see it in order for it to have the correct outcome, are you satisfied with the outreach you have gotten with your latest works? If not, what do you plan to do to combat the lack of participation, or branch out you feel it deserves?

This question was answered with out me ever needing to ask. When discussing the Domestic Tension project he told us that they underestimated the amount of traffic on the website, causing it to crash on the 10th day. This is a wonderful problem to run into when you have a work that is so heavily based on web interaction.

What have you found to be the reaction to your works? are there places you feel your works would not be appreciated by the majority? If so does that shy you away from working in those areas?

I think that Bilal put it very nicely in saying the work has a capability to be agitating to its viewer. The works as I understand from the lecture are intended to reach those who normally would not or bring about something form a less likely viewer. I think that putting the work in areas with conflict or areas that would not have a full and total embracing of the work is not only impossible but would bring about no reaction.

FROM THE ARTIST LECTURE:

A Quote I drew a parallel to in my own work was in regards to his work and himself as the artist as a, "platform indicator rather than an informer"

Three words I would describe him and his work as:

1.) courageous 2.) current 3.) reactionary

Something that I did not know previously about the artist was: I learned that Bilal was kicked out of Iraq, I found that to be very compelling.

I was impressed by the Domestic Tension project but after hearing Bilal talk about it, it really shows how deep the project really got. Weather that interaction between shooter and artist and onlooker the project took on depth that was not originally noted.

I am very eager to see what Bilals next project will show us.