FOR FREEDOM | Blame the Shadows

FOR FREEDOM; 2023, Single channel installation video, black and white, sound, 13 minutes duration, 3:1 aspect ratio. 
Created by Blame the Shadows in collaboration with countless individuals generously donating their time and skills. Proudly supported by Footscray Community Arts, Arc Edit, and Moodlab. 

FOR FREEDOM responds to themes of resilience, liberation, and the collective struggle for justice. Inspired by the slogan Woman, Life, Freedom, the work reflects the ongoing fight against oppression, drawing from both personal and universal experiences of resistance. 

The piece visualises a dynamic interaction, a dance, between suppression and defiance, represented through acts of erasure and reclamation. The struggle between two figures, one in white and the other in black, symbolises the silencing of voices and the unyielding determination to be heard. As the video progresses, the repetitive, meditative choreography becomes a visual metaphor for the persistence of hope and the unstoppable drive for freedom. 

FOR FREEDOM explores how communities respond to suppression through solidarity, reclaiming their narratives against all odds. It invites viewers to witness the emotional gravity of this struggle, while also offering a vision of triumph and unity.

The words written over and over on the wall are: 

Zan, Zendegi, Azadi in Farsi.

Woman, Life, Freedom in English.

Blame the Shadows believes in peace, dignity, and the protection of all human life. We strongly reject war as a means of resolving conflict. 

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Blame the Shadows is an interdisciplinary and multimedia art practice, exploring themes of displacement, memory, identity, and belonging, with a focus on emotionally intimate and socially engaged storytelling. 

The work of Blame the Shadows is presented across galleries, festivals, and cultural contexts in Australia and internationally, and is supported by long-term partnerships, residencies, and mentorships. 

FOR FREEDOM was Created by Blame the Shadows in collaboration with countless individuals generously donating their time and skills. Proudly supported by Footscray Community Arts, Arc Edit, and Moodlab.

ABOUT SCREENWORKS: 

SCREENWORKS provides a dedicated screen space for video and moving-image work for Gasworks’ creative community. Each month a different work will be shown, celebrating the dynamism that screen-based media can offer. 

PREVIOUS SCREENWORKS

Dodong  and the Dais by Catherine Ortega-Sandow, Kenneth L. Suico

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Citis of Glass by Katie Paine

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Voice of the Maribyrnong by Elijah Cristiano

Opening the Mouth by Chun Yin Rainbow Chan (陳雋然)