Heart of Darkness
Collines au Mille Souris
ongoing
The Colline refers to a Malthusian theory stating that the 1994 genocide in Rwanda was the preordained result of the impersonal forces of poverty and over-population.
In 1798 Thomas Malthus declared: “If there is too many people and not enough food, then, certainly, there is going to be problems […] as nature has a natural way to cut population levels: crime, disease, war, and vice".
Human Rights Watch reported: “The sweetly sickening odor of decomposing bodies hung over many parts of Rwanda in 1994 […] at least half a million people perished in the genocide […] this genocide was not an uncontrollable outburst of rage by a people consumed by ‘ancient tribal hatreds.’ Nor was it the preordained result of the impersonal forces of poverty and over-population […] This genocide resulted from the deliberate choice of a modern elite to foster hatred and fear to keep itself in power.”
the form
A giant pile of black licorice candy mice. Each time the piece is shown, the artist adds a new layer of fresh candy which leads to a smell unavoidably strong and sweet in a closed gallery space.
