Mirjam Wanner
Freedom (Libertad, Sloboda, Freiheit),
2017-2019, video-installation
Link to video
For the work "Freedom (Libertad, Sloboda, Freiheit)" Mirjam Wanner interviewed young people, often women, from Colombia, Croatia and Switzerland on the topic of freedom. At an outdoor location of their choice, they each answer the same four questions on the topic and sing a song. On the one hand, the artist examines how people with their country-specific, cultural and social characteristics feel about the topic of freedom, and on the other hand, the many intersections in perception become clear. In the end, however, each person appears as a unique, multi-layered individual.
Für die Arbeit ,,Freedom (Libertad, Sloboda, Freiheit)" befragte Mirjam Wanner junge Menschen, oft Frauen, aus Kolumbien, Kroatien und der Schweiz zum Thema Freiheit. An einem von ihnen gewählten Ort im Freien beantworten sie jeweils dieselben vier Fragen zum Thema und singen ein Lied. Einerseits untersucht die Künstlerin, wie Menschen mit ihren länderspezifisch unterschiedlichen, kulturellen und sozialen Prägungen zum Thema Freiheit stehen, andererseits werden die vielen Schnittmengen in der Wahrnehmung deutlich. Letztlich aber scheint jeder Mensch als einzigartiges, vielschichtiges Individuum auf.
On the process of the work Freedom (Libertad, Sloboda, Freiheit)
During our residencies I captured a group of Colombian, Croatian and Swiss individuals in a video talking about their perception of freedom. My interest and intention are to explore this universal issue which affects all of us but within different environments and countries. Are there any differences towards the awareness and importance in between the cultural and historical background of the protagonists? Are there any overlaps? What does freedom mean to a young girl in Bogotá, or an indigenous woman from the Caribbean coast?
The videos, edited and installed should evoke a mental space in order to contemplate about one owns perception of freedom.
