Art N' About

Author: Joyce Man

At the confluence of art and politics is a choice: construction or destruction. In war, the division becomes starker, as nations assert their own identities through art and try to eradicate the culture of the "other" by reducing it to negative simplifications. In his critically-acclaimed book, War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, Chris Hedges wrote, "Every society, ethnic group or religion nurtures certain myths, often centered around the creation of the nation or the movement itself." Such myths, he said, force people apart by stressing their differences, and turn colorful national characteristics into stream-lined propaganda pieces.

Hence, under the directive of creating nationalism through art, we have posters of Lenin and Stalin, the Nazi swastika, Chinese youth of the cultural revolution waiving copies of the Little Red Book, and we have "Maoroabilia." Many times in history, art has been sacrificed for political machinations. Conflicts consume poets and writers, leeching life of creativity. The most recent blockbuster, "V for Vendetta," used, re-used and recycled this idea with bold reds and blacks, stylized publicity typefaces and wide-angle shots of marching masses. The comparison to the degenerative art of the Nazi, Soviet and Maoist regimes was unmistakable.

Yet, if oftentimes art has failed to survive in the trenches and at the faultlines, it has also shown itself to be full of potential as a regenerating force, and in the Middle East, an unlikely band of brothers is proving exactly this point.

Conflict is no laughing matter in Iraq, Israel and Palestine, where the only things to breach faultlines and break headlines are bombs and bullets. But Boomchucka, a squadron of high-minded clowns featured in the Economist this week, are zipping through these countries armed to the teeth with smiles and loaded with jokes as ammunition. Their goal? To raise an understanding of the reality of life on the grounds and to bring a rare dose of humor to the children who live there.

Formerly called the Circus2Iraq, Boomchucka feels like your standard bunch of peace-loving hippies. They hail from the vibrant theater streets of Bristol, UK and call themselves an "unincorporated co-operative." Their website, a blog renumerating every activity, from fundraising to on-the-ground projects, is informal. Their ideas seem naive - they say one of their goals is to bring Palestinian and Israeli kids together even while conceding that these kids "grow into adults who oppress or kill each other."

A while ago, I had a conversation with a seasoned journalist who had seen Russia in its turbulent early days and interviewed many high-level people - incoming, outgoing, threatened leaders - in the unstable post-Soviet region. "You want to write about arts?" he asked. "Well, I write about the real news."

Thankfully, some of the real news this week from the Middle East puts art back into context.