Caspar Berger

In a Spirit of Brotherhood, “Please officer I can’t breathe”

George Floyd
In the daily world news, you sometimes come across images that you can’t ignore and that force you to take action. The footage of the murder of George Floyd in 2020 had a huge impact. Not only did I feel the horror of what had happened, I also felt that I had something to do with it. But as a white man aged over 50, am I in any position to respond?

Part of the system
With the extent of institutional racism made so painfully visible, I struggled with this question. This moment in time not only marks a horrific human drama, it also reveals the workings of a system, in this case the system of institutional racism. Because I am part of this system, I am also part of the problem. I decided to record this event and literally shut it up in a case.

Hard border
The case is an abstraction of this content. As an outsider, once you discover what the contents of the case could be, you are forced to relate to it. And in case you’re still in doubt, in the high-gloss of this black case you will automatically encounter your own reflection; there is no escaping it.

Article 1
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”