Sergei Bugaev's 'Stalker 3' video installation at I-20 Gallery examines death depiction ethics
From November 2 to December 14, 2002, the I-20 Gallery in Chelsea presented 'Stalker 3', a video installation by Sergei Bugaev, also known as Afrika. This 53-minute piece chronicles the destruction of a Russian tank convoy by Chechen partisans. Bugaev worked alongside Dimitry Gelfand to edit footage initially created for an Al Qaeda bounty. The installation included images of a Russian woman, a tank cannon barrel, rabbit skins, and black oil-brushed paper, with little symbolic context provided. A statement from the gallery condemned multinational corporations. The work ignited discussions regarding the artistic value of appropriated war footage, especially when juxtaposed with the starkness of 9/11 visuals. The video concludes with a funeral dirge, highlighting the mechanical aspect of death.
Key facts
- Sergei Bugaev (Afrika) created video installation 'Stalker 3'
- Exhibition ran November 2 - December 14, 2002 at I-20 Gallery
- 53-minute video shows Chechen partisans destroying Russian tanks
- Footage was edited with sound by Bugaev and Dimitry Gelfand
- Chechens originally filmed it to claim Al Qaeda bounty based on body count
- Installation included photographs of Russian woman and tank cannon barrel element
- Additional objects: rabbit skins and paper brushed with black oil
- Gallery statement criticized multinational corporations
Entities
Artists
- Sergei Bugaev
- Afrika
- Dimitry Gelfand
- Mapplethorpe
- Offili
Institutions
- I-20 Gallery
- NPR
- Al Qaeda
- World Trade Center
Locations
- Chelsea
- Russia
- Chechenya
- Grozny
- Afganistan
- Fresh Kills
- Kent State