Using a stairwell, we tell a true story of the war in Bosnia, of a person who has been rigging their home with explosives.

It is the story of person under house arrest.  Earmarked for future deportation by the Serbs, this resident is imprisoned at home.  The high school next door has been converted into a prison camp.  Sounds of torture and beatings are heard through the walls and windows.  Trapped in this condition, this person has made the decision to destroy the house when the Serbs come.  Each day, through the black market and through friends, this person obtains explosives.  The entire house is rigged.  It is a giant booby trap.

The story is told in Bosnian and English using both male and female voices.  Loudspeakers are placed at both ends of the stairwell.  As the audience moves up and down the staircase, they move through the different voices.  The point of origin of each is not constant, but shifting.  At mid-point of the stairwell, the voices blend from Bosnian to English.  Small sounds of fabrication can be heard.  Photos are mounted on the walls of the stairwell.

The home is the site of the Bosnian war.  The installation tells of those who are living in Bosnia, under siege, and tries to understand the logic in acts of extreme desperation.

Medium:  mini-lights, sound mix, audio CD player, speakers, photographs, table, paint

Date:  1995