Anahita Razmi
How I killed the…, 2012
Video
6 minutes 5 seconds +
Five framed assassination code words
Edition of 4 + 2 AP
The static camera shows the artist sitting at an office desk, surrounded by various office supplies. In the meantime, a voice-over tells the story of a murder plot. The voice-over...
The static camera shows the artist sitting at an office desk, surrounded by various office supplies. In the meantime, a voice-over tells the story of a murder plot.
The voice-over describes the exact planning and execution of this plot, which is simultaneously carried out by the artist: calling the contact persons, mentioning codewords, counting money, and loading guns.
The story relates to various scripts of conspiracy plots and theories concerning the relationship between the USA and various Middle Eastern countries.
It was just recently (in October 2011), when the USA released an FBI transcript regarding the planned assassination of Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the USA, by an Iranian individual who hired Mexican killers. The story was never proven. However, codewords such as “Chevrolet” (used for the planned assassination), as well as conspiracy connections between Iranian Quds Forces and Mexican drug cartels are described, which made the story look like a Hollywood script to some critics.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/10/11/us/Iran-Plot-Complaint-Doc-Viewer. html
Over the years, similar plots and stories within other USA related contexts have emerged. The JFK murder, for instance, has not been solved until today.
This video work, however, does not aim to question the true and false within these stories. Instead, it aims to ask whether there are certain stereotypes or functional patterns that can be established when talking about conspiracies, political murder plots, and hollywood movie narratives. The artist as the executive in the video, functions as the stereotype of a killer. It is a collage of the looks and behaviours of terrorists, mafia characters, assassins sampled from various movies, and transcripts.
The voice-over describes the exact planning and execution of this plot, which is simultaneously carried out by the artist: calling the contact persons, mentioning codewords, counting money, and loading guns.
The story relates to various scripts of conspiracy plots and theories concerning the relationship between the USA and various Middle Eastern countries.
It was just recently (in October 2011), when the USA released an FBI transcript regarding the planned assassination of Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the USA, by an Iranian individual who hired Mexican killers. The story was never proven. However, codewords such as “Chevrolet” (used for the planned assassination), as well as conspiracy connections between Iranian Quds Forces and Mexican drug cartels are described, which made the story look like a Hollywood script to some critics.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/10/11/us/Iran-Plot-Complaint-Doc-Viewer. html
Over the years, similar plots and stories within other USA related contexts have emerged. The JFK murder, for instance, has not been solved until today.
This video work, however, does not aim to question the true and false within these stories. Instead, it aims to ask whether there are certain stereotypes or functional patterns that can be established when talking about conspiracies, political murder plots, and hollywood movie narratives. The artist as the executive in the video, functions as the stereotype of a killer. It is a collage of the looks and behaviours of terrorists, mafia characters, assassins sampled from various movies, and transcripts.
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