Log On, Shoot at an Iraqi: New Interactive Installation at the Flatfile Gallery

Hilarious and disturbing, but one thought, get a real server!!!

Great idea, but nothing is coming up when I try to get to 'shooting mode'. Tech sucks, understandable though-- if its a feed to/from Iraq, probably shut it down. Also, brighten the page up a bit- its hard to read. I'd love to participate, if it worked. Salu Wafaa!

He's got a server, just not a domain. Probably a good idea since a lot of assholes would have his site taken down if he did. Just having an ip address makes it a little harder for them to complain to his webhost.

You must be not be very bright. It says above the guy is in Chicago, not Iraq.

I just logged on and he's not even there. Must be out to lunch enjoying a falafel.

Lame.

75.57.160.175 resolves to
"adsl-75-57-160-175.dsl.emhril.sbcglobal.net"
Top Level Domain: "sbcglobal.net"

**UPDATE 3.10.07** 4:30pm
Due to the overwhelming amount of individuals attempting to participate in Domestic Tension, our server may not connect. If this is the case, please be patient and try back later. We are working to increase bandwidth and will have a local host set up at the gallery very soon. Check out the Tribune slide show, Tempo article and Art Review from today. You may need to login to their site to view. Keep up with Wafaa's YouTube video diary here. If you are in Chicago, please stop by the gallery Tuesday - Saturday 11am - 6pm to see Wafaa and manage the piece with a local host.

Not IT! hahaha

brilliant!

"Sorry, you cannot shoot an Iraqi due to technical difficulties"

Oh the irony! Even funnier and more brilliant then if we actually had the technical ability to shoot an Iraqi. Perhaps we can blame bad intelligence instead of the IT folks.

this is awesome. the reason that all of america wants to destroy the middle east is because if they prosper, we'll find that middle easterners are way tigther than americans (case in point, this little piece of performance art)

It's not in Iraq, it's in Chicago. Tool.

I would make it a point NOT to shoot an Iraqi let alone anybody else. Sorry sport, try another gambit.

While I appreciate the ingenuity of his interactive art, I cannot bring myself to shoot him. He's kind of cute...and he looks springy. My aim generally sucks, and it gets worse with cute, springy targets.

The folks in the sand are as screwed as we blue collar Americans are,lets shoot at some oil Execs.....

I'm going to visit Wafaa this coming weekend and we are going to share a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken... not falafel. Mmmmmm mashed potatoes too. Maybe it should be McDonalds Happy Meals? ... yum... and perhaps a bottle of white wine from Napa.

Would somebody please send him a Bush-mask?
:)

This site is a lot of fun very well designed. notem671

Tried to log on, and shoot the American, but couldn't.

lol ... read on a computer? you ask too much!

But does the average American even grasp the message behind this, or is it just another shoot an Eyeraki game? I doubt it... and I hope I'm wrong.

I'd shoot the fucker in a heartbeat.

I had as much luck logging in to shoot the guy as used to when trying to call in to my local K-ROK radiostation to win free Metallica tickets. No biggie, though...both could never have lived up to the hype.

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He could do "Gas a Kurd", or "Ethnically Cleanse a Swamp Arab" or maybe "Feed a Political Dissident into a Plastic Shredder", or just "Iraqi Rape Room".

Maybe he could stick to the preqeuls, "Shoot an Iranian" or "Shoot a Kuwaitian".

…just get a time-out all the time...

That said, where is that youTube video; a link would be nice to have.

Sounds like an interesting/challenging idea. But you cannot annouce that you are there 24 hrs a day and then go out for lunch. That kills the whole point of the piece.

Could there be a counter on this URL and one to the "Shoot him up" link.... displayed on this page?

Just to see how many were NOT going there that 'could' have gone.

Only a suggestion. :-)

That is an invitation to an unintentional DOS attack.

you should stop thinking in the "game" of shooting an iraqi and start thinking why he is really there, all the stupid americans are shooting their family and friends in the real iraq.
stop being so naive and realize that your goberment it´s so obsessed with the money that is willing to kill thousands of iraqis and thousands of americans only to get it.

wake up, this is a social and political critic.

The Dude below, Your barking up the wrong tree dude.

... but also a sad waste of this man's time. Americans have been going far out of their way to get their convulsing self-righteous jollies from ripping the guts out of helpless women and babies, all to feed their HEARTLESS PIG appetites, throughout their entire 230-year history.

It's what they ARE.

Have they ever "learned?"

Have they ever been stimulated to realize, through honest reflection, that they've ALWAYS made the Nazis look like pikers?

NO.

And they never will. Criminals DENY their guilt. "Honest reflection" isn't something they do. This defines them.

At this late date, the world obviously needs to stop wasting time trying to "reason" with them (a lost cause) and just exterminate them, while there's still anything left to save.

Open Eyes –Ironic - What innocent country are you from which allows you to stand so tall on your pedestal and preach about the “heartless pig” Americans? Are you GOD? I never thought I would have a religious experience on a website but you really put everything into such crystal clear perspective that I feel I can now repent for where I was born. Thank you!

This goes for the rest of the people with pity in your hearts for the ignorant Americans – let us all take a step back and have a look at your own country’s history. Spotless and not a drop of blood I’m sure…

Open Eyes - You display the very same attitude toward Americans that you claim to loath. You are a hypocritical douche bag.

Feel free to criticize the idiot we have for a President and his administration who got us into this mess – but grouping all Americans into your hate-fest and calling for our extermination is straight up ignorant.

You’re taking anonymous cheap shots just like all the people who are logging on to shoot this guy with a paintball gun.

Here is my anonymous cheap shot – FUCK OFF STUPID TWAT! Enjoy...

It's not big art. It's someone who decided he'd get his fifteen minutes by being shot at willingly. I'm sure his relatives feel his pain,nerve gas replacing paint of course.

"...they've ALWAYS made the Nazis look like pikers?"

Aaand this discussion is over, just like that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin's_Law

Helpless women & babies? Less of the propaganda-speak please. Women are certainly not as helpless as babies - did you realise what you were saying? You need some of your own self-awareness dude. Your pessimistic attitude helps no-one and your slander of a whole country is pointless.

From the same link you provided..

"Godwin's Law can itself also be abused, as a distraction or diversion, that fallaciously miscasts an opponent's argument as hyperbole, especially if the comparisons made by the argument are actually appropriate"

YES! Excellent idea. We can prevent pain and suffering caused to millions around the globe by causing pain and suffering to millions of Americans! It's a great idea, because it really owns the fact that the phrase 'all human lives are precious' actually means 'all human lives that I approve of are precious'. As towering an intellectual achievement as it is to stumble upon the notion of eradicating an entire nation, I think I'm going to have to ask you, dear sir thinks-a-lot, to go fuck yourself.

Thank god we have weapons for dealing with countries like yours we are Americans if you a spine and a weapon I say bring it on otherwise stfu

I listened to your interview yesterday on NPR, and honestly you are missing the point.
As long as we Middle Eastern treat each other like animals (dispensable); forces like US, EU, Russians, Chinese, etc. can impose their right to take care of our lack of social and political maturity.

Please go home and do a little sole searching as more innocent Iraqis killed daily by Iraqis and other Muslims and as did Saddam and his predecessor before him.

I think you are old enough to remember Iran-Iraq war, did Iraqis ever reflect for one short second before sending Scuds over to residential area? Or gassing innocent Kurdish children and women in Halabjah?

Perhaps it might be better if you opened your heart as well. Hate always loses in the end. Apparently, you're angry with "Americans." Are you angry with the people or with the government? Are you able to separate the two? I am sorry you are filled with such hatred that you could even suggest exterminating an entire people. It is that mentality that causes war and prevents peace. The American government may not always responsibly represent the American people, but in this particular situation, we are fighting against people like you. Believe it or not, we are the ones trying to prevent the extermination of the Iraqi people. Many of us would be quite content to leave and let them kill each other off, which is what is truly happening. Where does this notion of "ripping the guts out of helpless women and babies" come from? Have you lost someone dear to you? You sound like you're in a lot of pain. Again, I'm sorry. But propagating hate will not make you feel any better, nor will it solve any diplomatic problems. We need to start talking openly. What would you like to see from us Americans? Specifically, and honestly, please suggest how we can work out our disagreements.

Thank you for your voice of reason. Perhaps we could all benefit from a bit of sole searching. Your comments seem quite intelligent. No government is perfect. Maybe most are far too self-concerned. But let's not blame the people either...not the Americans, the Iraqis,or anyone else. We need to put hatred,blame and past events aside and start working on moving forward- toward peace, resolution and a free Iraq. Thank you again for your thoughtful comments.

anyone that can't spell soul shouldn't be telling someone to search for it.

Its great! Perfect

For those of you who were able to get through the limited bandwidth and actually shoot an Iraqi, did you notice him experiencing any pain from the paint balls or pain from the consistency of shooters? I want to know if "Shooting the Iraqi" was actually achieved and to what extent did it cause genuine injury. If it did cause genuine injury I would argue that the piece is more successful. The ability for the average Joe to shoot themselves an Iraqi poses an interesting psychological conundrum, because of the viewers ability to experience the Iraqi's pain and take responsibility for it.

Joe