SUICIDE Bangle (from my diploma collection)

In 2004, when I developed this piece, I had for a long time been in a state of constant subconscious agony and confusion by something I had a hard time to understand and feel, while I was repeatedly infused by the martyr horrors on the news:
I was trying to imagine what it must be like to be under the influence of a psychologically well trained fundamentalist preacher. What would he do so I would smile and push the button and blow myself to pieces along with a bunch of infidels. He would try and warp my mind by making me realize the pain of everyday life, and at the same time promising me extreme lust, a heaven full of beautiful virgins.

My self-set goal was to develop objects you wear on vulnerable parts of your very own body and trigger a comparable state of confusion, fear and deep pain in me, someone who was socialized in western society. The SUICIDE bangle and the ATTENTION bangle are the very embodiment of these deep fears. In order to kill yourself you are supposed to cut your wrist along the axis of your arm. My surgeon friends told me cutting it at a right angle does not kill you, and what a nuisance it is to have to sew the tendons back together again. And if you really cannot keep your fingers off the knife there is the HEALER, a fashionable bandage armband with a bling.

When I was a kid Germany was under the terror of the Baader Meinhoff gang, the UK was terrorized by the IRA. We used to live right right across the german-dutch-belgian border point in belgium. Perfect for terrorists to evade the police. I felt my parents’ fear when they drove me to the Kindergarten in Germany and we had to go past machine gun toting border police, very young and nervous. Made me a pacifist. I still do not understand the concept of war, or inflicted death. The planned self sacrifice of today’s terrorists sends a shiver down my spine.

In 2004 I anticipated a satiric future playground for my SÜLZKOTLETT label: public suicide seems to develop into one of the first trends that came from the Near East. Retarded village folks still burn themselves with cheap unleaded fuel from the local gas station. The sophisticated Metropolitain Human prefers designer explosives from the brand flagship store.