PROJECTIONS

A gorilla beating the ground with a bone, a symbol of the ‘first weapon’ directly referencing the opening scene of Stanley Kubrick’s iconic film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). This gesture echoes Sigmund Freud’s response to Albert Einstein’s question Why War? (1932). Freud reminds us that violence is not an accident, but something deeply rooted in human nature. War therefore coexists with creativity, love, and the instinct for survival. Violence does not necessarily represent a collapse of civilization; rather, it can take the form of structured violence rendered acceptable, and even legal, by the State. Laws, moral systems, and culture exist to limit this violence, but they cannot eliminate it entirely. Although education, reason, and social bonds may reduce human aggression, Freud remains skeptical about the possibility of eradicating war. At best, humanity can attempt to divert destructive impulses away from large‑scale destruction, and sublimate these impulses through intellectual activity.

Semper Fortis! From a military‑strategic perspective, an aircraft carrier is often described as one of the most powerful weapons on Earth. It concentrates air power, naval force, logistics, and global reach into a single moving platform, capable of projecting force thousands of kilometres from home territory. More than a weapon, it is a floating system of dominance and deterrence, and of potential destruction. The sound of wind and the rhythmic crash of waves against the bow of the aircraft carrier, suggests that natural forces and human technological power merge into a single, overwhelming presence. Mirroring the installation dedicated to the first human weapon, this video installation signals a profound shift in the nature of violence. What once began as an immediate, bodily gesture has evolved into a remote technological system, in which destruction is delegated to machines operating beyond human scale, removing clear lines of responsibility.