Diane Victor (b. 1964, Witbank)

Disasters of Peace: Human Enclosure

2005-2010, etching and aquatint, 30 x 35 cm.

Photo by Diane Victor. Courtesy of the artist. ©Diane Victor.

Ominous clouds hang over a heavily barricaded house. The yard is empty, and the stoep  is fenced up and unwelcoming. Tall fences, topped off with barbed wire, surround the house.

In her Disasters of Peace series, Victor sources newspaper articles about crime and other types of violence, and transforms it into symbolic socio-political commentary. After apartheid, the way that we thought about violence changed from very public, political displays, to violence that takes place in intimate settings, such as the home. We are supposed to feel safe in our homes, but sadly that is no longer the case. The title references the space where zoo animals are kept. Far away from their natural homes, they are forced to live in enclosures for the entertainment of visitors. In that case, who is ogling us beyond our high security fences?