Turkmenbashi, mon amour

MOUCHETTE aka Martine Neddam (Nederland) - neddam.org

Click on the image to view the artwork

The animation Turkmenbashi, mon amour features the famous virtual character Mouchette created by Franco-Dutch artist Martine Neddam in 1997. The scenario was inspired by a love letter addressed to Turkmenistan’s dictator, the late Saparmyrat ‘Turkmenbashi’ Nyýazow. Over occasional sightings of his image (statues, digital photos, monuments) in the city of Achgabat, she comments, ironically, about one of the most repressive and least known dictator on Earth. Dealing with a highly sensitive topic, the adventures of Mouchette in Turkmenistan show how coincidences and fortuitous enconters with a simple "image" may generate a form of idolatry which, in return, could be dangerous.

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