The Migrant Image The Migrant Image The ArT And PoliTics of documentary during globAl crisis T. J. Demos Duke University Press Durham & London 2013 © 2013 Duke University Press All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper ♾ Cover design by Cherie Westmoreland, interior design by Courtney Leigh Baker. Typeset in Minion Pro by Tseng Information Systems, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data appear on the last printed page of this book. Duke University Press gratefully acknowledges the support of the Duke University Center for International Studies’ Globalization and the Artist Project, which provided funds toward the production of this book. fronTisPiece: Baghdad Resistance Fighter (2008), Photograph by Ghaith Abdul- Ahad. Publication of this book has been aided by a grant from the Millard Meiss Publication Fund of the College Art Association. Duke University Press gratefully acknowledges the support of the Globalization and the Artist Project of the Duke University Center for International Studies, which provided funds toward the production of this book. Contents illusTrations vii check- in: A Prelude xiii chArTing A course: Exile, Diaspora, Nomads, Refugees: A Genealogy of Art and Migration 1 Departure A moving imAges of globAlization 21 1 Indeterminacy and Bare Life in Steve McQueen’s Western Deep 33 2 “Sabotaging the Future”: The Essay Films of the Otolith Group 54 3 Hito Steyerl’s Traveling Images 74 Transit: Politicizing Aesthetics 90 Departure B life full of holes 95 4 The Art of Emily Jacir: Dislocation and Politicization 103 5 Recognizing the Unrecognized: The Photographs of Ahlam Shibli 124 6 The Right to Opacity: On the Otolith Group’s Nervus Rerum 144 Transit: Going Offshore 160 Departure C zones of conflicT 169 7 Out of Beirut: Mobile Histories and the Politics of Fiction 177 8 Video’s Migrant Geography: Ursula Biemann’s Sahara Chronicle 201 9 Means without End: Ayreen Anastas and Rene Gabri’s Camp Campaign 221 Destination: The Politics of Aesthetics during Global Crisis 245 AcknowledgmenTs 251 NoTes 255 BibliogrAPhy 305 Index 323 Illustrations Plates Plate 1. Plate 7. Christoph Schlingensief, Yto Barrada, Le Détroit, avenue still from Please Love Austria d’Espagne, Tangier (2000) (Foreigners Out!) (2000) Plates 8 And 9. Plate 2. Emily Jacir, Where We Ravi Agarwal, Slum Dwellers Come From (2001–3) in Front of Skyscraper, Plate 10. Gujarat, India (1999) Ghaith Abdul- Ahad, Baghdad Plate 3. Resistance Fighter (2008) David Goldblatt, Braamfontein Plate 11. from Newtown, Johannesburg. Goldin+Senneby, “Headless. November 1, 2001 From the Public Record” Plate 4. (2009–10) Steve McQueen, still from Plate 12. Western Deep (2002) Joana Hadjithomas and Plate 5. Khalil Joreige, Wonder Beirut: The Otolith Group, stills The Story of a Pyromaniac from Otolith II (2007) Photographer, 1998–2006 Plate 6. Plates 13 And 14. Hito Steyerl, still from Bernard Khoury, B018 (1998) Lovely Andrea (2007) Plate 15. Plate 16. Rabih Mroué, Inhabitants Ursula Biemann, still from of Images (2009) Sahara Chronicle (2006–7) PhoTogrAPhs figure 1. figures 9, 10, And 11. Lamia Joreige, still from Guy Tillim, images from the A Journey (2008) 2 series Leopold and Mobutu (2004) 26–27 figure 2. Mona Hatoum, Measures figure 12. of Distance (1988) 7 Steve McQueen, still from Gravesend (2007) 31 figure 3. Black Audio Film Collective, figure 13. still from Signs of Empire Steve McQueen, still from (1984) 8 Western Deep (2002) 34 figure 4. figure 14. Christian Philipp Müller, Steve McQueen, still from Green Border (1993) 14 Western Deep (2002) 39 figure 5. figure 15. Multiplicity, still from Steve McQueen, still from Solid Sea 03 (2003) 16 Western Deep (2002) 44 figures 6 And 7. figure 16. Steve McQueen, still from Steve McQueen, still from Gravesend (2007) 22 Exodus (1992/97) 47 figure 8. figures 17, 18, And 19. Steve McQueen, still from Steve McQueen, stills from Gravesend (2007) 24 Catch (1997) 48 figures 20 And 21. figure 34. Steve McQueen, stills from The Otolith Group, still from Caribs’ Leap (2002) 49 Otolith III (2009) 70 figure 22. figure 35. Steve McQueen, still from Hito Steyerl, still from Illuminer (2001) 51 November (2004) 76 figure 23. figure 36. Steve McQueen, still from Hito Steyerl, still from Western Deep (2002) 53 November (2004) 77 figures 24, 25, 26, And 27. figure 37. The Otolith Group, stills Hito Steyerl, still from from Otolith I (2003) 56–57 November (2004) 80 figure 28. figure 38. The Otolith Group, stills from René Viénet, screen grab from Otolith I (2003) 58 Can Dialectics Break Bricks? (1973) 81 figure 29. The Otolith Group, stills from figure 39. Otolith I (2003) 59 Hito Steyerl, still from Die leere mitte (The empty center) figure 30. (1998) 84 Black Audio Film Collective, still from The Last Angel of figure 40. History (1995) 61 Hito Steyerl, still from Lovely Andrea (2007) 87 figures 31 And 32. The Otolith Group, stills from figure 41. Otolith II (2007) 64 Yto Barrada, Advertisement Lightbox—Ferry Port Transit figure 33. Area, Tangier (2003) 100 The Otolith Group, Preparations (Blemmyae) (2006) 67 figures 42 And 43. figure 51. Emily Jacir, Where We Come The Otolith Group, still from From (2001–2003) 105 Nervus Rerum (2008) 146 figure 44. figure 52. Emily Jacir, Change/ Mohamed Bakri, still from Exchange (1998) 108 Jenin, Jenin (2002) 147 figure 45. figure 53. Emily Jacir, Sexy Semite The Otolith Group, still from (2000–2002) 110 Nervus Rerum (2008) 150 figure 46. figure 54. Ahlam Shibli, Untitled The Otolith Group, still from (Unrecognised no. 22), Nervus Rerum (2008) 157 ‘Arab al- N’aim, Palestine figure 55. (2000) 125 Goldin + Senneby, “Headless. figure 47. From the Public Record” 164 Ahlam Shibli, Untitled figure 56. (Goter no. 10), al- Naqab, Goldin + Senneby, “Headless. Palestine (2002–3) 126 From the Public Record” 166 figure 48. figure 57. Ahlam Shibli, Untitled Lamia Joreige, still from (Goter no. 25), al- Naqab, Here and Perhaps Elsewhere Palestine (2002–3) 131 (2003) 179 figure 49. figure 58. Ahlam Shibli, Untitled Lamia Joreige, still from (Goter no. 6), al- Naqab, Objects of War (1999- ) 183 Palestine (2002–3) 138 figure 59. figure 50. Akram Zaatari, Saida, June 6, Ahlam Shibli, Untitled 1982 (2003–2006) 189 (Goter no. 42), Umm Mitnan, al- Naqab, Palestine (2002–3) 139 figure 60. figure 68. Walid Raad, We Can Make Ursula Biemann, still from Rain but No One Came to Ask Sahara Chronicle (2006–7) 218 (2007–8) 189 figure 69. figure 61. Ayreen Anastas and Rene The Atlas Group, Walid Raad, Gabri, Fear Is Somehow Our for stills from Hostage: The Bachar Whom? For What? + Proximity Tapes (#17 and #31, [cat.A]_ to Everything Far Away, from Hostage_Videotapes_017/031) Camp Campaign (2006) 222 (2001) 192 figure 70. figure 62. Ayreen Anastas and Rene Gabri, Rabih Mroué, still from screenshot of the Homeland Inhabitants of Images Security Cultural Bureau (2009) 199 home page, from RadioActive (2002) 224 figure 63. Ursula Biemann, still from figure 71. Sahara Chronicle (2006–7) 202 Ayreen Anastas and Rene Gabri, detail from Fear Is Somehow figure 64. Our for Whom? For What? + Ursula Biemann, still from Proximity to Everything Far Sahara Chronicle (2006–7) 204 Away, from Camp Campaign figure 65. (2006) 228 Ursula Biemann, still from figure 72. Sahara Chronicle (2006–7) 205 Bureau d’études, detail of figure 66. World Government (2004) 230 Ursula Biemann, Sahara figure 73. Chronicle (2006–7) 207 Ayreen Anastas and figure 67. Rene Gabri, photo of east Ursula Biemann, still from Baltimore, from By Many Sahara Chronicle (2006–7) 212 Means Necessary—Baltimore (2006) 234 figure 74. figures 76 And 77. Ayreen Anastas and Rene Ayreen Anastas and Rene Gabri, Gabri, video still from Day 8: video still from The Redeemed Building Vacancy Maps, from Night, from Camp Campaign What Everybody Knows (2006) 241 (2006–present) 235 figure 75. Ayreen Anastas and Rene Gabri, video still from All Strayed and Were Incapable of Using, from Camp Campaign (2006) 239 Check- In A Prelude The Migrant Image: The Art and Politics of Documentary during Global Crisis examines contemporary art in a world where globalization has be- come dominant, though hardly uncontested. According to its liberal— and now largely discredited—portrayal, globalization represents a world- wide interlinking of free markets and cultural institutions, facilitated by advances in communication technologies and deregulated travel. United by the conclusion of Cold War divisions between capitalism and commu- nism, it identifies a new world order that promises democratization and egalitarian participation in society.1 Yet, since the events of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent wars and uprisings in the Middle East, together with the recent worldwide financial crisis and the continued destabiliza- tion of developing nations in the global south, globalization’s celebratory ring has ceded to the imperialist realities of “empire,” defined by the in- creasingly unequal command of resources by the privileged few occupy- ing elite corporate multinational and governmental positions.2 The result is what I term crisis globalization, designating an era of growing economic inequality, one facing the increasing influx of migrants and refugees into the North as they seek decent standards of living and escape from repres- sive regimes, widespread poverty, and zones of conflict. Yet they do so only to be met by increased security at European borders that exacerbates political and social inequality at international and regional levels.3 It is this state of crisis globalization, one divided between the neoliberal claims of free markets and democratic participation, and the politics of economic inequality, statelessness, and military conflicts, that identifies this book’s pressing context. Organized around a series of case studies that focuses on the work of artists situated in Europe and North America, the Middle East, and North Africa, this book investigates a series of key questions regarding the re- lation between politics and aesthetics, mediums and mobility, socioeco- nomic disparity and emancipatory artistic promise that sheds further light on globalization’s crises.