Loading the UAV
120" x 36" x 14" Steel, Wood, Enamel, Acrylic Latex 2014
Montreal’s business school, HEC, commissioned Ashop to create a striking centre piece for a newly renovated room called Salon National. I was tasked with conceiving something special, so I designed a 10’ wide billboard complete with catwalk and lights.
This billboard sculpture depicts a scene of an American family cleaning and loading their MQ9 Reaper drone, a weapon of war used for remote strikes in foreign lands. I challenge the viewer to reflect on the disconnect between the everyday lives of ordinary citizens and the actions of our governments and militaries in the name of national security. The work also questions the role of the media and propaganda in shaping public opinion and creating a sense of detachment from the consequences of war. By using a familiar format of a billboard, I invite the viewer to consider how they are influenced by the images and messages they encounter in their environment.
Design, building and painting were all done by myself at Ashop with assistance from Fluke and Ankh One.
