Jonas Staal & Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei
The exhibition Al-Qa'ida Torture Devices comprises a presentation of a selection of typical western household appliances, tools and other instruments, such as electric irons, drills and cutting torches, which Al-Qa'ida has been using as torture devices on captives.
Historically, Osama bin Laden, a current leading figure in the Al-Qa'ida network, used to be an important US ally during the Afghanistan war (1988) against the former Soviet Union. During the last few decades, this relationship reversed completely: Al-Qa'ida is now 'protesting' against what it perceives as the intervention of western (American) countries into the islamic world. However, it is interesting to notice that, despite their disgust of western influence, they have employed basic western products, i.e. house- hold appliances and other tools, in order to fight and combat the 'intruders' and other enemies of their choice.
Our western society has not only provided part of the social and cultural context for Al-Qa'ida to operate in, it has, moreover, provided it with the tools to do so more effectively.
On April 24, 2007, American soldiers searched a so-called 'Al-Qa'ida safe house'. They found a collection of explicit hand drawn pictures, possessing a certain 'art brut' quality, that presumably has been used as a guide to the torturing of enemies. The products and their description that have been depicted in this collection form the basis of Al-Qa'ida Torture Devices.
In the same house, the American soldiers found a captive, hanging in chains from the ceiling, that had been tortured in a fashion suggested by the drawings.
The seemingly 'innocent' tools that are on display, obtain in perspective of the exhibition their violent content, that has been suggested in the afore- mentioned drawings. This ambiguity inherent to the tools and devices is representative for the double position that Al-Qa'ida occupies in relation to the western world, both as (former) ally and (current) enemy.
News article about the torture methods
Official site
Jonas Staal