after 8 years of government thats left a huge dent in america’s reputation, im not surprised that george w bush “souveniers/t-shirts” aint flooding the market. then came along uber talented photographer PHILLIP TOLEDANO with “AMERICA: THE GIFT SHOP“. its a virtual exhibition with clever takes on the subjects of torture, degradation and government secrecy. its harsh reality presented in a tongue-in-cheek manner, and will make you gasp, giggle or groan (depending on your stand in politics).
turning to installation artforms instead of his camera, Philip Toledano created a conceptual store of Bush administration mementos, including such satirical wonders as a bouncy Gitmo holding cell, Abu Ghraib injured civilian dolls and cut out standees of Prisoner and Guard. super brilliant and disturbing, the collection, which is currently in search of a permanent exhibition space, is one of the funniest things ive seen lately—it’s also one of the scariest.
ive always been particulary interested in studies about war, especially the Nazi Occupation during WW2. ive travelled to Krakow (poland) two decembers ago to visit the biggest nazi death camp, Auschwitz. despite what ive read over the years leading up to that visit, nothing prepped me enough, for what i saw broke my heart.
the sarcastic words that frame the gate "Arbeit Macht Frei" (say: Ar-Bite Marked Fry). it means WORK MAKES (you) FREE. in reality, the only route to "freedom" is through the chimneys of the crematorium.
shoes were swapped for hard wooden clogs that were a torture to walk in.
jews were told that they were relocating (read: forcibly moved out of their homes and into concentration camps) and were allowed to pack not more than 50kg of luggage. if you were given that limit, wouldnt you pack your most valued possessions? that was what they did and they were robbed of their belongings upon arrival at camp.
a huge roomful of human hair, greying with time. heads were shaved immediately upon arrival. these were in turn made into cloth for prisoner uniforms.
one of the smaller scale gas chambers. these got bigger once the influx of jews got higher. i felt the chills when i walked thru this area.. didnt help also that it was underground.
the ovens at the crematoria that burn the bodies after they had been gassed.
standing on the very train tracks that the prisoners built. these tracks brought in cattle carts that carried MORE JEWS into what was CAMP #2 of auschwitz known as Birkenau.
the prisoner bunkers. each bunk squeezes in, uncomfortably of course, approximately 40 human beings.
the words above the doorway mean: TO KEEP CLEAN IS YOUR DUTY. what a joke. prisoners were not given access to any water or sanitation. they were intended for by their captors to live a lives worse off than those of animals.
that experience and this Abu Ghraib-inspired exhibition serves as a reminder that HISTORY MUST NOT REPEAT ITSELF. the world CANT EVER BE A BETTER PLACE with weapons, discrimination and segregation.
AMERICA: THE GIFT SHOP was on free display at the Art Space at ION as part of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2010 lineup. kudos to ION for daring to display such an in-your-face art exhibitition. to be honest i never thought a “safe” mall like ION would take on such a project. but before you rush down i have to inform you that its over now, last day being 24th jan. but fret not, i took photos 
THE INJURED CIVILIAN SERIES: during the start of the war, the truth is that over 100,000 iraqi civilians have been killed or maimed. however, the US government’s estimate is only over 20,000. (sounds similar to WW2 when the nazis tried to trivialize the number of jews they killed? uh huh, for sure.)
Headless Habib
Ibrahim The Eviscerated
Abdul The Amputee
the bouncy Gitmo prison cell
READ MORE ABT GITMO (GUANTANAMO BAY) PRISON CAMP HERE
the Abu Ghraib Cookie Jar
Blackwater Helicopter Baby Mobile
READ MORE ABOUT SINISTER BLACKWATER CORPORATION HERE why sinister you ask? well doesnt the phrase “private military” send shivers down your spine? this is so that the rich and powerful get more powerful. imagine being so rich that along with your fleet of vintage luxury cars, private jets, mansions and yachts, you have a private military unit too? i wouldnt dare to mess with you man. its sophisticated gangsterism in the guise of “national security”.
READ MORE ABOUT LINDY ENGLAND HERE
Do you know what’s worth fighting for?
When it’s not worth dying for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?
Does the pain weigh out the pride?
And you look for a place to hide?
Did someone break your heart inside?
You’re in ruins
One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms, give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky, you and I
When you’re at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
Your faith walks on broken glass
And the hangover doesn’t pass
Nothing’s ever built to last
You’re in ruins
One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms, give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky, you and I
Did you try to live on your own
When you burned down the house and home?
Did you stand too close to the fire
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone?
When it’s time to live and let die
And you can’t get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You’re in ruins
One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms, give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky
RYAN LEE
