The Weight of War
This installation speaks of the weight or heaviness that one must feel when they live in a war zone. When the viewer stands underneath the installation, they can feel the weight from the paper planes that are hung from the ceiling. The viewer must walk underneath the installation to view all of the planes. This gives a sense of what it may feel like to live in a war zone and experience the constant sight sound of war planes flying overhead, with the imminent threat of bombing that they pose.
There are 429 paper planes in total. This is the number of drones that were dropped in Waziristan, Pakistan during the USA’s war on terror. Even though the number of planes references specific attacks on a certain region in the world, the work is about all wars and invasions that the world has experienced since 911.
The installation itself was process based. The repetitive process in making the planes became a meditation. It reminded me of the story of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl, who at 2 was exposed to radiation from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during WWII. At 12, while sick with leukaemia in a hospital, she began making origami cranes with the hopes of making 1000. This is based on the Japanese legend of Senbazuru, a dragon who lived for a thousand years. To honor this legend people make 1000 cranes, one for each year the dragon lived. It is believed that the cranes must be completed within one year and they must all be made by the person (or group of people) who will make the wish at the end. Unfortunately, Sadako was only able to make 644 before she passed away. Her two friends completed the remaining 356. There is a memorial to her and all the children who had died from the effects of the atomic bomb. A statue of Sadako holding a paper crane was installed in the Hiroshima Peace Park, with a plaque that reads: "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace on Earth.”
This work is also a cry, prayer and meditation for peace on earth!