7. The friendly patronizing


The brightness and lightness of the installation of glas containers and goose down reflecting the theme of muzzle and conversation shackle stands in contrast to the brutal pictures of our contemporary reality presenting us with prisoners with stinky sacks pulled over their heads to muzzle their speech, to de-face  and debase them. The installation of muzzles made of glas dishes arching over presentations of plant leaves that have human mouths appears trivializing in contrast. In its brightness  it exempts itself from a gloomy reality so pure, light and clear that these muzzles made of glassy bowls and also dipped in white down have apparently veered away from the violence against people's ability of articulation. Below the bowls from green leaves white teeth rows smile at the on-

looker. It is an image of soundlessness and nice appearance which stands for the friendly and neat image of appearance of the contemporary mask of censorship.
The appearance of the politically correct speakers who represent the executive suites and who daunt their staff by spying and quality control is elegant and discreetly racy. Adverse to the authoritatively crowing speech terror censorship and speech control does without the physical might of patriarchal patronizing and lets the corporate brakes grip market-friendly, technology conform and flanked with friendly faces. The brutal  face of unleashed of profit seeking  which openly threatens the weak has been moved to the periphery of the affluent areas. There the suppression functions as dirty and directly as ever. There nose pegs, clouts, muzzles as well as all other forms of mistreatment, if not murder, against those that want to free themselves from their physical and intellectual shackles   are furthermore the order of the day.
BŠrbel Bahlke-Meisel: Conversation Shackle 2008 (Installation)
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