Studio visit: Wafaa Bilal

It was a great opportunity to see him talk about his work and creative process. Art and visual culture in general is not a goal but means for achieving something. The artist does not work with materials but people - their perceptions, values and ideas of the world around them. I do think that way, photos on the wall are just means for challenging people rather than end product. However, Bilal's idea that a concept comes first and then medium is determined by it is a good challenge for me. Can I do that too? I also agree strongly on his point that art is always political even if the maker tries to avoid it. It was interesting that he did not talk about his older work with the interactive painting pieces.
The studio visit went well. I showed my documentary work from Bulgaria, the waste facilities in Maryland and the studio experiments with still life. Because this work is different from his I was nervous that no serious dialogue would arise. Although conservative in its medium my work actually relates to his. It aims to engage the viewer (in Bilal's work the viewer is also participant!) in social and political topics, to bring awareness, show different angles of one story and promote change. Bilal responded the most to the studio photos as they are unfinished and need ideas for their further development. By asking these questions he encouraged a broader view of contemporary consumption: where does it come from, how is it made/grown, who works there and what is work like, who control the whole process and what freedom of choice each side has. Do I want to use photos only and what else?
I wish the visit was longer but never the less it inspired me more than anything else for the past months.
As a summary, Bilal's visit encouraged me to try something new but also to continue my documentary work because I realize it complements a more creative/fictional approach on political issues. For instance, Taxi to the Dark Side (2007) (trailer) is a really powerful documentary without which I couldn't have appreciated fully Bilal's water boarding performance.