Spiteful of Dream

Overview

Spiteful of Dream is a video installation that explores the relationships between the manufacture and mechanics of mass movement (airplanes, trains) and the physical upheaval experienced by those who have been forced to leave their native country. The title refers to a quote from the Bosnian poet Mehmedalija Dizdar and is an old Bosnian saying that speaks of the paradoxical nature of the struggle for Bosnian national identity.

The film was created in 2008 in Derby, UK, and was inspired by research into immigration in the UK’s Midlands – Derby is one of the main immigration processing centres and is also the location of two of the biggest transport companies and employers in the UK: Rolls Royce (airplane engines) and Bombardier (manufacturers of trains). Spiteful of Dream combines footage and materials from Rolls Royce, Bombardier, and the Bosnia-Herzegovina Community Centre in Derby. The audio comprises accounts and memories from refugees and asylum seekers – who the Wilson twins met at the community centre – regarding their journey and arrival into the UK.


This project was part of Sharjah Biennial 9