Worse than the Holocaust

Artworks by Fahn Falta

Yesterday opened Pirats Panoptikum with works by Gracie Kendall, Milly Sharple, Fahn Falta (which was new to me), Hermine Resident and Nino Vichan. Much interesting works to see, but again it was Nino Vichan's work which gave the surprising kick.

Artworks by Hermine Resident (Chu Ann)

His installation "American Nobility" is about American natives and I must admit that I felt slight boredom when I got the invitation and expected another show of Indian romantic. But I should know Nino Vichan's way of working better now. Nino: "This exhibition presents the contrast between the dignity and spirituality of the indigenous people of the north american continent and the genocide of these and other indigenous people throughout the world."

The beautiful installation is spiced by quotes in the local chat which went under my skin. Here some examples:

"The term Genocide derives from the Latin (genos=race, tribe; cide=killing) and means literally the killing or murder of an entire tribe or people. The Oxford English Dictionary defines genocide as 'the deliberate and systematic extermination of an ethnic or national group'"

"The reduction of the North American Indian population from an estimated 12 million in 1500 to barely 237,000 in 1900 represents a 'vast genocide . . . , the most sustained on record.' (Ward Churchill, a professor of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado). "'In terms of the sheer numbers killed, the Native American Genocide exceeds that of the Holocaust'. (Holocaust expert David Cesarani)."

"Common Sense magazine reported that the Indian Health Service 'was sterilizing 3,000 Indian women per year, 4 to 6 percent of the child bearing population. Dr. R. T. Ravenholt, former director of the federal government's Office of Population, later confirmed that 'surgical sterilization has become increasingly important in recent years as one of the advanced methods of fertility management. Ravenholt's response to these inquires told the population Association of America in St. Louis that the critics were 'a really radical extremist group lashing out at a responsible program so that revolution would occur'."

Smoking the peace pipe. From l. to r.: Cayenne Avon, Nino Vichan, Merlina Rokocoko

When I arrived I said: "Germans are good in Genocide." Nino Vichan answered: "Americans are better!" Looks as if he is right.

Taxi: http://slurl.com/secondlife/LEA28/55/85/31