Liquid Violence at Short Festival

At Short Theatre 2020, Forensic Oceanography presents 4 investigations undertaken over the last nine years, each of which engages with a particular mode of border violence. The installation consists of: 4 video works, one for each investigation; a timeline situating the investigations within the fluctuating patterns of border control and (non-)assistance at sea, and showing the latter’s dramatic consequences for the lives of migrants; and an archive of research materials, containing Forensic Oceanography’s reports as well as video interviews that served as the basis of research. Overall, the installation seeks to unravel the shifting aesthetic regime operating at the Mediterranean frontier, dwelling on the ethical dilemmas and political challenges of representing violence.