27 July 2022

Croatian artist Vladimir Dodig Trokut's installation 'Imagine' placed as statement against war and gun violence on top of the Albertina wing in Vienna

In history books of the future, we will look back to the summer of 2022 as a time heavily impacted by a seemingly never-ending pandemic, global inflation and the war in Ukraine. The pandemic has become in its third summer almost 'usual' - thanks to the growing number of people with booster vaccinations. The inflation caught people off guard and while many are struggling to pay the monthly rent and funding other daily life necessities like food or the tickets for the train, the visit at the doctor or medicine, there seems to be no time or power left to search for the emergency 'Stop'- button for ending the price avalanche. Since 24 February, the already expected extension of the war in Ukraine is reality and hits the world at several wounds - if its the supply of gas which is necessary for private households as well as the industry in large parts of Europe or the export of grain from the embattled port city of Odesa. "These products are desperately needed to address the global food crisis and ease the suffering of millions of people in need around the globe," said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement concerning grain exports published in the UN News 'Peace and Security' section. The fear of World War III is back again.

The German translation of the text 'Sometime they'll give a war and nobody will come' from the book 'The People, Yes' (1936) by American author Carl Sandburg became winged words after it was used in the early 1980ies as slogan of the peace movement. Creator of the signature graphic design of the message is Hamburg-based designer Johannes Hartmann who painted the words in 1981 on a mural for the creation of a poster. The story behind the 'Stell Dir vor, es ist Krieg und keiner geht hin' motto is described by the graphic designer in an article reflecting upon the reasons for the success of the slogan. "Later I asked myself what exactly made this success possible. Certainly, the pacifist idea was a common denominator in the resistance against the apparent inevitability of the armament spiral. A dreamy utopia that was vaguely reminiscent of John Lennon's song "Imagine" and conveyed a feeling of hope." (Citation from spiegel.de translated via Google browser from German to English.)

John Lennon's song from 1971 is also the inspiring source of the art installation showing a caged revolver which was placed earlier this week as an anti-war symbol and statement against gun violence on the wing of the museum Albertina in Vienna. Albertina Director Klaus Albrecht Schröder sees parallels between the art object 'Imagine' by Croatian artist Vladimir Dodig Trokut and the mission of Albertina which he describes as a peace project in the sense of enlightenment. With the work by Vladimir Dodig Trokut, the Albertina draws attention to the fact that violence in any form must be limited and put in its place. It's announced that the 'Imagine' art installation will be on view at the wing until 31 October (fast checked today at albertina.at/ausstellungen/kunstinstallation-imagine/).

By the way: Not far from the Albertina at the Hotel Sacher, John Lennon and Yoko Ono held in 1969 the 'Bagism' press conference with statements about peace (video).

Image: View of the art installation 'IMAGINE' by Vladimir Dodig Trokut at the Albertina wing on 25 July 2022. Photographer: eSeL.at - Lorenz Seidler. Photo: © ALBERTINA / eSeL.at - Lorenz Seidler.