The History of The Democracy

ACT 4: THE DEMOCRACY - DESTINATION: IRAQ

A parallel action.

The world stage. Basra, Amara and Bagdad from 1 January - 19 January 2004.

During the spring and summer of 2003 Das Beckværk had to renounce the intension of sending the blue container to Iraq. Firstly because of the expensive shipping costs, and secondly the American military authorities in Iraq were sceptic to the content of the European democracy model.

In September 2003 Das Beckværk therefore transformed their container into a small portable metal-container, a lap-top-democracy that amongst other things contained a light weight parliament: The Nomadic Parliament.

On the 1st of January 2004 two representatives from Das Beckværk, Nielsen & Rasmussen, crossed the boarder to Iraq from Kuwait, carrying the Democracy.
During the following three weeks, they travelled through Iraq together with their Iraqi partners and held 13 parliamentary sessions in Basra, Amara and Bagdad with the participation of people from all levels of society.
In the end the Europeans left the Democracy with representatives of the Iraqi people during a ceremony held at the art academy in Bagdad.

Related Beckworks:

Selvmordsaktionen (The Suicide Mission) - a novel, Gyldendal 2005 (DK) + Oktober 2007 (NO) + Kabusa 2007 (Sweden)

The Democracy – Destination: Iraq - a "microfilm", Gasspedal (NO) 2005 + Chain Link (USA) 2008

The History of The Democracy - a retrospective exhibition, Nikolaj Contemporary Art Center Copenhagen 2007 + Wiener Festwochen, Austria, 2007.

The History of The Democracy - a staged lecture, Das Beckwerk/Wiener Festwochen, 2007- (order now! on info@dasbeckwerk.com)