It wasn’t until the reading in regards to New Media did I remember that Chicago once had this interesting Installation about web cams, Iraqis, and paint ball guns early this year. The artist Waafa Bilal setup an installation in the Flatfile gallery in Chicago with a web cam and a paint ball gun connected to the computer. Bilal can be seen via the Internet and if the viewer chooses, Bilal can be shot at by yellow paint balls. I believe this is amazing, combining a sort of telepresence with activism to show the life of Iraqis during the war. Truly, a wonderful installation with a strong political message. Though the installation is finished, one can view a recorded video of Bilal in his day to day life in the installation.

Xavier Duran