János Sugár

Bobby Previte

Ádám Lendvai

ARTWORK

video art

agression / military / still image / war

2001

Different countries, cultures and conflicts, all have this weapon in common. Slightly exaggerated, it is the Esperanto of aggressiveness. Aggressiveness is a status symbol even in the poorest countries. Somalians have a familiar proverb: "I and Somalia against the world, I and my clan against Somalia, I and my family against the clan, I and my brother against the family, I against my brother." Barry Sanders says: The gun is the typewriter of the illiterate. The development of sophisticated hi-tech weapons systems has had an enormous impact on the economies and politics of the world, but (thank god) they have never been really used. Instead of these expensive weapons, what has actually been in constant use since the late 40's is the Kalashnikov machine gun. (J.S.)