Lecture by Iraqi-American artist Wafaa Bilal at Lake Forest College

Lake Forest College Artist in Residence, Wafaa Bilal, will present a lecture on “Domestic Tension” and other recent work on February 15, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in Meyer Auditorium in Hotchkiss Hall. 

Bilal is transforming the face of art with political and social themes. Often controversial, Bilal’s work, combines modern interactive technologies with provocative visuals. As a witness to, and victim of Saddam Hussein¹s brutal rule, Bilal¹s reaction has been to create work that illuminates disparities between the comfortable and remote aspects of life in the the U.S. and the violence of war in Iraq.

Praised by the Chicago Tribune as one of the sharpest works of political art, Bilal’s 2004 Domestic Tension reinvigorated debate on the Iraqi war. Placing himself at the mercy of a paintball gun controlled by online viewers, “Domestic Tension” skillfully challenged the concept of virtual war. Today, Bilal’s works have become increasingly forceful and intrusive.