‘The Incommensurable Banner’ by Thomas Hirschhorn is a four metre high, 18 metre long display of atrocities that scrolls across the interior of Fabrica Gallery – a former deconsecrated church in the centre of Brighton.
The artwork is the most challenging and controversial piece in a hard-hitting Brighton Photo Biennial, curated by Julian Stallabrass, which has the subtitle Memory of Fire – the War of Images and the Images of War.
Stallabrass praised Fabrica for having the courage to display the controversial work, which he described as “being like a political banner and a bit like a scroll that unfurls like a parade of atrocities.”
“The ethics of displaying images like this are complicated, there is much to talk about here,” he added.
Swiss artist Hirschhorn made the banner as a personal project and has had it hanging in his studio for the last year before being approached by Stallabrass to submit it for the Biennial.
“It was a difficult decision with many sleepless nights deciding how we would show the work,” said Fabrica Co-Director Matthew Miller. “This isn’t a show for everybody, it can be particularly disturbing for children and indeed for anybody.”
“You can’t be prepared to see this work so we have done what we can to warn people about the content and give them a choice as to whether they want to see it or not.”
Perspex screens have been erected to blur the work and protect unwary members of the public who may stumble in unawares - prominent signs warn visitors. Several volunteers who work front of house at the gallery have also excused themselves from duties for the duration of the show.
“Obviously there will be a huge number of different reactions to it, which has even been the case within our own members of staff here,” added Matthew. “But we decided that it had to be seen and that we would show it and we will take responsibility for that. What we want to do is point the responses towards an area for discussion.”
Ashley Gilbertson, a New York Times photographer whose award-winning work from Iraq is currently being displayed in another Biennial exhibition said: “I’ve seen images like this actually on the battlefield and in a sense it’s not as shocking as this. To see something like this in Brighton is very disturbing.”
A series of events exploring the ethics of showing this and other similar imagery has been planned throughout the Biennial, which runs in various venues in Brighton and the south-east until November 16 2008.
To find out more about Thomas Hirschhorn, his art, and his views visit the TateShots website.
For more information about the Brighton Photo Biennial visit www.bpb.org.uk.
