“Dictionary of Darkness” is examining the official military lexicon of the Department of Defense (DoD) through the lens of ecological conflict. This exploration highlights the significance of contemporary armed conflicts within the broader context of environmental warfare, contrasting military terminology with insights from disputed regions, contested territories, and historical as well as current colonies.
The installation critiques the rationale behind technologies that militarize and exploit nature, leading to ecological devastation. It scrutinizes the technical language that facilitates this process while also addressing the appealing semi-professional language that is often disseminated by cultural and media channels. Through contemporary archival methods, the exhibition investigates the extreme escalation of the current global security crisis and the accompanying rise in violence.
The dual-site cinematic installation of “Dictionary of Darkness” forges new links between the intensifying crises of global security and ecological issues. The two exhibition venues reflect a situation of dwindling resources and restricted access to vital materials, paralleling today’s international conflicts and the ways these are presented.
This exhibition serves as a timely response to ongoing disruptions and the overwhelming sense of destruction present in today’s violent landscape. It delves into the intricate relationships between the security economy, the environment, surveillance, species survival, oppression, and subversion.
Jack Faber, a Helsinki-based award-winning filmmaker and artist-researcher born in 1978, investigates how the security economy influences the arts and acts as a catalyst for the climate crisis. His work examines critical cartographies through acts of disobedience, specifically looking at cinematic and moving imagery as sites of both conflict and reconciliation. He challenges the rapid militarization of public spaces and the emergence of ecological conflict zones by employing drones, various tropes, and new technologies in innovative ways.
Faber’s multidisciplinary approach integrates film, collaborative projects, and installations, focusing on participatory engagement and interspecies equality. His in-depth studies address institutional ecologies and extinction economies while employing humor, transgression, and cinematic engagement to highlight issues of inequality and oppression. His work has faced censorship and has featured in significant civil rights cases, such as the “Watchmen” trial, and has been showcased at the Berlinale, TFL, and other major events.
The exhibition also takes place at the Artistic Research Site (K247) located in the Mylly building of the Academy of Fine Arts, University of Helsinki, with access available by appointment. The Huuto IV Gallery exhibition is open Tuesday through Sunday from 12 PM to 6 PM, with free admission.
“Dictionary of Darkness” is supported by the Kone Foundation.