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Rant: On two Walls

Today, I stumbled across this on twitter:


And off we go:


While I have a lot of admiration for both the comic book and the movie, V is a step back in my opinion. V is a symbol for anarchy and bringing down a corrupt system through any means necessary.

Yes, V is an inspiration to everyone in that he will go to any length, and risk any collateral damage to achieve his goal of liberation. He will bomb, play music, usurp the media and established structures to further his aims. Some of this is a good idea, other methods result in unexpected results. A good way to destabilise above structures and send a shock through the public conscience and awareness of the effectiveness of the oil that keeps the gears going somehow. 

What is worrying about V is that, a path s opened through such action, which may lead to a fundamental shift in society and the way it is governed, or governs itself. The underlying ideals justify the action and society is left to get on after the ultimate sacrifice is made for the Cause. This neatly absolves our protagonist of all guilt and removes him except as a lasting symbol of resistance and heroism

This little narrative twist is what makes V such an intelligently constructed story. It is also what makes it a useful parable of resistance, not rebuilding. V is the symbol of one man, outside the system, acting alone to better a society that must be corrupted enough to resort to any means to bring it down. But after that, after the moment when everyone has united on the square and taken off their anonymous masks, what happens then?

V is gone. And has left the public independent, unafraid and free, but also slightly clueless as to what to do next with their lives. Nice fireworks, though. Tea?

Number two:

This very moving gesture, which occurred in Berlin on the 19th of September 2011:


I don't know. Even though one cannot complain about the execution and completion of this work of art, and it is part the history of an ongoing revolution, it somehow fails to provoke any emotion in me. In stead of the gesture, I notice those behind it and think to myself "Why them?". Maybe I should have been present at the unveiling and asked exactly that question. 

Khaled Said on a piece of the Berlin Wall is one of those ideas that sounds great and should be inspiring in theory. Symbols of oppression, dictatorship and corruption, finally freedom both, painting the oppressed on the oppressor and commemorating the solidarity the artist and those that commissioned the piece feel, this artwork should be a hit on all levels. 

In stead, it does not feel relevant, or particularly helpful to the uninformed. You are left with a glimpse of one face associated with the the uprising. And nothing to back it up. No real lasting  impact. While writing this, I've been looking into Khaleds painted eyes for about half an hour and not changed my mind about it. 

Everyone involved in this has my respect, as does the subject of the art and its theme. Having said that, meh. 

The picture above, and more on the project can be found here.

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