believe

Nicolas Siepen, 2005

The continuing popularity of Samuel P. Huntington’s slogan about the “Clash of civilizations” issued in 1993, is caused by the idea that cultures are identical with themselves. This affinity has caused an ideological sensation that is consolidating now. The clichés we form about other cultures are influenced by the fact even allegedly secular communities continue to rest on the fundaments of their Christian – occidental origins. The video and photo installation by Ina Wudtke is performing several precise cuts into the complicated figure of “culture” – formally as well as on the content. Herby she goes beyond the hybrid and multi – cultural concepts developed by cultural studies, by examining – according to Michel Foucault’s differentiation of visibility, verbal articulation and power – the differences in the matriculation and power – the differences in the marriage rights of Turkey, Israel and Germany. Against the backdrop of nationally organized visual, verbal and legal codes, the work reveals the different relations between public and religious institutes, as well as it shows how ideological formations can be reflected and reversed by these results. Thus, not only allegedly essential assignations, which are attached to various cultures, are changing sides, but Ina Wudtke also manages to temporarily dissolve the disposition of the power structure which is shaped by the gender – separation. Religious – orthodox men, who, regardless of their own cultural boundaries, all know that they are the ones who establish the rules, are exiled to silent photographs. Woman, who normally have to submit to these rules, have the discursive power in interviews by means of their position as scientists.