In September 2011, Bogomir Doringer graduated cum laude from the Master Film. Since then, his graduation project 'Hospitality' has been shown in Amsterdam, Oldenburg, Vienna, Paris, Rome, Singapore and Switzerland and was nominated to represent Serbia at the Venice Biennale 2013.

Most recently, 'Hospitality' was shown in the G12 HUB Gallery in Belgrade from 28 January - 15 February 2013.

About 'Hospitality'
The psychological and physical state of military personnel changes drastically after returning from overseas missions (Gulf, Balkan, Iraq, Afghanistan etc.). The symptoms that they “host” are recognizable to medical experts as various forms of cancer. However, sudden increases in incidences and mutations are causing doubts as to the nature of their illness and its causes, thus creating uncertainty and distrust. Victims sink into a state of limbo, wandering alone in silence, expecting a solution to, or an explanation for their health problems, or death itself.

In the media, the “horror” experienced is known as “Balkan Syndrome” or “Gulf Syndrome” and the cause of the health-related problems is linked to the use of weapons containing depleted uranium (DU), as well as to the presence of invisible nanoparticles in the atmosphere, which penetrate the victim’s body.

Bogomir Doringer has researched this phenomenon for five years, interviewing not only soldiers and their families but also scientists exploring the cause of deviations occurred.

The resulting body of research represents the main material for the video installation 'Hospitality', which creates a testimonial environment for the audience, with a ghost-like presence of the interviewees. Resembling a blurred history of contemporary man, the reality of people’s testimonies stays floating somewhere in between us - the audience, and the invisible.

Doringer is inviting us to look behind the screen surface. Like a new kind of researcher, the artist is digging through the documents of today’s world, collecting experiences and feelings of others, in an attempt to illuminate those processes that happen outside of our view.

Together with the Ferrofluid sculpture and Golden biopsy sample, this exhibition is building a memorial to the world within and beyond us that, due to our own fears, we are unable comprehend. Titled 'Hospitality', it plays with the notion of host and guest introducing the terrifying forms both can take.

March 2013

--

Read more about 'Hospitality' on www.bogomirdoringer.info
http://www.bogomirdoringer.info/See more pictures of the show in Belgrade