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Outside the Documents Artists responding Dear Rachel Sukman , Do you remember the double imageof September 11 and the Kabah which I showed as a "Walking Billboard " in front of the press conference at Documenta 11 . ' ' The whole project is now documented on the Internet : http : // www . angelus . demon . co . uk / Documentall During our discussion about the meaning of my work I got the impression that you were not quite satisfied about me holding back my personal view concerning the current state of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict . Let me therefore explain the thoughts 1 had immediately after September 11 , while I was working on the image . First of all . I was struck by the sheer visual powerof the whole event , which seemed to me as if it was deliberately composed down to the smallest detail , like a picture whose meaning is intended to be read . The buildingof the World Trade Center appeared to be a target not becauseofthe people inhabiting it , but mostly becauseofits function as a visual icon that stands for an entire culture . Minute details , such as a copyof the Koran left in a car in the airport , were meant to put a clearly readable signature under the painting , suggesting that god-fearing martyrs executed the work . Another interesting detail , which must have been carefully considered by the artist , is the dateof execution : September 11 . 11 was on that same day in 1935 that Adolf Hitler stated : "No people live longer than the documentsof their culture , ' clearly having the subtext in mind that if he can succeed in destroying the documents of an entire culture , he will f inally be able to wipe out the entire people . The World Trade Center building and the Black Stoneof the Kabah in Mecca are both visual icons , and hence the most important documents for entire cultures . Whoever attacks them wishes to wipe out the peoples connected with theni . This is my personal viewof the current conflict between the two cultures . I f ind it alarming that with the picture painted onI ] September , the actual destruction of an outstanding cultural icon has stated the determination for genocide . You asked me if ! would ( "dare " ) come to Tel Aviv . Yes , I would come to Tel Aviv and even show my work there if it can be of any constructive value for both sidesof the conflict . With kind regards , Stephan Hausmeister hausmeister ® angelus . demon . co . uk
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