ABOUT EXHIBITION

Opening: 15 May (Friday), from 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm

The exhibition runs until 14 June 2026


The shock caused by the news that a war is raging nearby eventually wears off. Over time, it becomes background noise that blends into our daily lives. We carry on with what we are used to. Can we be blamed for that? How can a single person do anything to prevent the outbreak of military aggression? And how much do we care, given that we are not directly involved ourselves? After all, it is forces far more powerful than us that are sacrificing lives on both sides. In this context, what difference does it make where we stand politically? Who will be next? Are we ever truly safe?

The War Next Door project was created in 2024. What does it depict? On the canvases we see young adults. At first glance, the images appear attractive and pleasant to look at. Yet there is a certain unease lurking within them. What is actually going on here? The motif of a uniform recurs. Are these schoolchildren, or scouts? Or perhaps militias...? The gathered figures form a small army. In the foreground, we see only boys, for it is mainly they who will go to war. The black scarf is a sign of death. The girls remain in the background, huddled into an anonymous mass. An army of legs in identical shoes suggests how many of them will be left without fathers, without partners; displaced. The wind of history ruffles their hair. The blinding orange of the background evokes an explosion, scorching, emptiness. A sense of global threat seems to be growing, turning the illusion of security to which we have become accustomed over the last few decades on its head. Is it just a feeling, or is another great war looming? We are living in the era of the first genocide in history to be broadcast live, and yet we look away. The Doomsday Clock stands at ninety seconds to midnight. We are but a small step away from self-destruction. Let's not kid ourselves, we have all allowed this to happen. So is it even worth saving us?

Miriam Tajcher