In the beginning was an image.
The image of a technically equipped camel caravan that would cross the Hausruckviertel area of Upper Austria and serve as a symbol of the Middle East and a metaphor for the Western media’s portrait of terror, while efficiently communicating current controversies such as the control of public opinion via the mass media, migration and xenophobia, and the Western control and consumer society.
In addition to the weighty themes in the baggage, the ships of the desert are also loaded with the technical equipment required for live video streaming throughout the journey to a website. The brightly coloured, chequered, water-resistant fabric carriers on the backs of the animals, which in local slang are frequently referred to as “Polish attaché cases”, represent “the newcomers” and determine the appearance of the caravan.
Caravans and travelling people have always been a source of unease and distrust to those in power, since they had access to information that one had rather kept safely away from the rest of the people. With their knowledge about the state of affairs in other regions and reigns, they tended to cause unrest and discontent amongst usually obedient subjects. They could even seriously damage or destroy some of the myths and constructed lies that many ruling power systems rested upon.
Over and over again the ended up being chased and chased away and the most horrifying stories were spread about them. These same methods, by the way, are still very much in use today; be it in defaming immigrants as job killers, drug dealers or for generally taking advantage of the welfare system.
The v.o.n. caravan was under way between June 27 and July 4, 2003, traversing Upper Austria from Kohlgrube to the southern outskirts of Linz, via Bachmanning, Lambach, Wels and Rutzing, thus emulating the best traditions of enlightenment of so many similar expeditions. The baggage train, comprised of seven camels and around 20 people, also chipped away at the facade of hierarchic structures and modern legends. For example, the myth, as preached by Margaret Thatcher, that there is no alternative to capitalism and neo-liberalism. Moreover, the gauntlet was thrown down to the disinformation and spoon-feeding of the population by controlled mass media like that plainly evident during the recent Iraq war.
The v.o.n. caravan was accompanied on its way by a journalist, who composed the daily entries in the log book and provided reports for Radio FRO; by two film makers, who captured moving images for the documentation; a diary illustrator, who committed visual notes to paper; a pair of technicians, who apart from servicing the webcam, also looked after the assembly, disassembly and modifications needed for the evening events, and last but not least, the catering team, who took care of the physical well-being of the crew and visitors throughout the project.