Srianta
Alex Sinclair
25.5 x 20.5 cm
Hardcover
This project details a criticism of the ongoing use of Shannon Airport by US Military. It follows a fictional narrative depicting the worst possible scenario for Ireland being complicit in aiding the US fight wars in the Middle East. The narrative follows a group of protesters who gain access to the runway aiming to damage a US plane en route from Kuwait. The protesters manage to enter the cargo hold of the plane where they damage a refrigerated unit containing samples of a biological weapon. A strain of influenza, known colloquially as the Millipede virus, takes shape in the landscape of Ireland.
Using a critical framework for developing a collection of media, the project aims to address issues regarding information classification and the role of transparency within our dealings with the US. The association with a state that has imprisoned Private Bradley Manning, a whistleblower on war crimes committed during operations in Iraq, is pushed to the forefront. This project provides a body of evidence, both constructed and real, examining contemporary injustices of foreign policy.
The work is comprised of two parts. The first is a book detailing life in Ireland during the Millipede virus epidemic. This book is a selection of image media chronicling the events that lead to the outbreak as well as the delay in truth regarding the origins of the virus as a by-product of Ireland’s involvement with the US through Shannon Airport. The second aspect of the project is a sculptural installation in the National Photo Archive. This highlights the mistreatment of Private Manning and will coincide with his trial due to start on June 2nd.
