back/ground/history

“where do we come from, where are we going to”
– project description –

While working in many different countries I have come across many diverse personal histories. The most interesting thing to me is each person’s individual life story, which transcends concepts like ‘country’ or ‘nation’.

I started my drawing project at the Mecklenburgische Kunstlerhaus( Artist-in Residence) in October 1998. It is a part of former German Democratic Republic and not far from the Polish border. I begin talking to local people and became very curios to find out more about their personal histories as well as the history of their society.

At this point I would like to ask all these people the same ‘fifteen questions’ in order to better understand their lives and to follow up their family’s history more closely.

The project will consists of

100 to 150 life-size drawings from people’s behind
Reflections of the drawings on the ground (using either glass, acrylic or paper-depending on the space)
Shadows of visitors on the hanging drawings
Collected and edited the answer from “fifteen questions” to be played on the tape recorders in the space

I finally believe that the drawings of people from behind, their reflection on the ground and the recording of their voices, reversal their essential humanity more honesty and without the vanity of a pose.

Reiko Nireki