Kunsthalle Winterthur
Winterthur searching superstar
December 2006

At the entrance of the Kunsthalle is a car, which is painted in Arabic script. On a side window is attached a small speaker, from which the sound of Arabic music is unclear hearing. During the opening a surveillance camera transmits images and sounds live on a monitor in the Kunsthalle. If the viewer stands in front of the monitor, he get forced to reflect about his own reactions and behavior patterns. The Arabic texts on the car were deliberately chosen from typographic books, so they are neither political nor religious. The Arabic script is used as an image create a reflexion to the viewer. The questions that arise are: how the Western viewer sees the Scriptures as a picture, and how he combines that image with his life and feelings? The Arabic script has today a new dimension. People see it not in the same carefree manner like other writings. The viewer has much room for interpretation. People who can not read this scripture, have maybe more interest to understand it after the September 11 but have also more prejudices. The relation between Arabic script and the car is because of the terrorist attacks full of prejudices. In a time, dominated by politics and media it results difficult to interpretate Arabic script as harmless or even positiv.