And Suddenly All Looked So Familiar (2008)
And Suddenly All Looked So Familiar is a commentary for situation in Baghdad. The purpose was to create as interactive performance as possible. I wanted to create arabic pop-like atmosphere where I am making web-research of Youtube-videos from Iraq. There you can see a cut of AlJazeera News where children playground in Baghdad is turned up to graveyard, a commentary from Iraq local news where seems to be a small nuclear explosion in a city and in next video it is suddenly snowing in Baghdad. All these sad news are combined to audience playing Backgammon, making wishes to magic lamp and following live bellydancing performance by Nina Tiusanen. I try to book a trip to Baghdad via web, but all travel agencies are giving answer: "Destination not available", even the war is over. Finally I submit a guestion to White House Interactive "When it is possible to travel Baghdad?"
Performance was done at ArtContact event in Helsinki in November 2008.
Original performance duration 30 minutes