180 Seconds to Remember – Performance by Thierry Mortier

24 September 2022

12.02–12.05

180 seconds to remember is a performanc given on the 24th of each month as long as the war continues in Ukraine.
In September it will take place at Färgfabriken.
Yellow and blue smoke candles are lit and will be smoking for 180 seconds.

Art serves as a societal memory… and nobody says that memory needs to be a distant one.

“During the second month of the war in Ukraine, it became clear that the news value of the war was already dropping. Both on the Belgian and the Swedish televised news the war did no longer feature as the first item on the list. Horrible images and stories still reached the viewers outside of Ukraine, but a sudden snowfall or bus accident was more news worthy. After more than a month the war isn’t new, it’s old.

The visual moment of silence, every 24th of the month, is there to stop for a little bit,… to take some time to let everything sink in for a moment… to make sure we don’t completely forget that people are dying, losing their homes, losing their country and not just in Ukraine, but also in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Nigeria, … countries at war that haven’t featured on our news in ages. All while we are safe and getting entertained in our fast-moving, attention-economy.

180 seconds to remember, is set up to grow, as long as the war continues, we add a new location every 24th of the month. For the sixth instalment, after 7 months of war in Ukraine, we light our candles at Färgfabriken. Join us there to take a moment to remember.”

Thierry Mortier

If you represent a location that wants to take part in future instalments, please reach out to Thierry Mortier, but let’s hope a seventh instalment will not be necessary!