Alexander Reichstein: Displaced / Sijoiltaan
Glowing transparent figures of refugees
This project reflects the harsh reality of the war in Ukraine. Millions of people were forced to leave their homes, heading into the unknown and having to start their life from scratch. This project might remind citizens of European countries, accepting now Ukrainian refugees, how their own compatriots have been displaced in the past. I have created dozens of transparent glowing human-size figures of refugees. To create these images, I used photos of recent Ukrainian refugees, mixing them with images of Finnish evacuees from Karelia during the Winter War in 1939, Soviet civilians fleeing from the Nazi army in 1941, the German population leaving East Prussia and Sudetenland in 1945, as well as photos of other refugees from different countries. The soundscape created by Petri Laakso adds to the ambience, mixing refugee stories in different languages with music, sound of steps, hum of flying aircraft and rumble of distant bombing. https://www.reichstein.name/Displaced.html
Academy of Print (Moscow), University of Industrial Arts (Helsinki), b. 1957, Lives in Helsinki, Finland
Information
Artwork finished in:
2024
Light sources, other materials and equipment used:
UV-lights
Dimensions of the work, approximately (width-height-depth):
The installation can take up to 300m, but it can be compressed due to its flexibility.
Approximate dimensions of the work for mailing / sending.:
Two boxes: 208x127x43cm and 152x58x40cm
Power consumption:
Standard mains current (10A/16A)
Sound in artwork:
ambient sound
Support and other structures:
The work includes all the necessary structures
Structures, hardware and other equipment needed from the client.:
Audio equipment (player, amplifier, speakers). Cabling for the UV-lamps
Minimum height of the space:
2,8m
Minimum square meters of the space:
200m2
Requirements for the space: darkness, temperature, colouring (light / dark / specific colour / other) etc:
dark space outside or inside
Building time and people required (estimate):
3-4 days to mount, 2 days to dismantle. 1-2 helpers needed.
Artist's presence:
Artist or their representative must be present during building
