Dani Gal: Hegemon

Dani Gal's sound, film and slide installations manipulate the original narrative logic and address the difference between the "truth" of collective memory conveyed by media and subjective feelings. Many of Gal's performances and elaborately produced films are based on the re-enactment of an political events by professional actors, like the film "Nacht und Nebel" shown at the 54th Biennale in Venice. Dani Gal's specific way of dealing with oral narration is also reflected in his collection of long-playing records with historical speeches of the most various politicians and radio broadcasts now comprising more than 500 records. Not seldom combined with the propaganda of dictatorial regimes, these kinds of records were a popular medium up until the 1980s for disseminating political and historical contents. 

For Dani Gal's new film "Hegemon," the gallery will be converted into a movie theater. "Hegemon" documents different perspectives on strategies and history of American foreign policy. The 80-minute film was shot in Washington in 2015/16 and gains significance in view of the current political situation. For the film, eleven foreign policy experts from think tanks, the military, and the CIA describe their view of American foreign policy. The conversations deal with issues such as Islam, the arms industry, American-led wars, cybersecurity, and the concept of freedom. At the same time, one sees scenes of “ordinary” daily life in Washington filmed by Dani Gal. The view of the camera is completely "non-hierarchical" and equally concentrates on urban monuments, nature, and people, as opposed to the usual "iconic" representations of the American capital in the media. The combination of the contrasting interviewees and their opinions with the unspectacular images of everyday life in Washington creates a focus on how truth is "made." Is America a hegemonic power or an empire in decline?