Democracy betrayed

Democracy Betrayed  installation (digital prints, magnifying glass, motion activated sound recorder) minimum dimension 1 x 2.5 m 2011

A black wall, two large (1 x 1 m) black and white digital prints sit evenly spaced in the space. 

The lefthand print (1 x 1 m) is made up of a million dot like marks - the estimated number of protesters in London, opposing the proposed Iraq war.

The date, seen vaguely, is 16th February 2003.

The right hand print (1 x 1 m) is made up of 125,000 dog tags, some black, the estimated 120,000 Iraqi dead and some white, the 5,000 allied troops dead.

Between them a magnifying glass attached to the wall. Scrutiny reveals a single dot.

As the observer moves closer a motion activated speaker, located above, reiterates in Blair's own words his insistence on the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Sadam's Iraq. The recording finishes with the sound of bombing over Baghdad in the shock and awe campaign.

Picasso said it all.