For a long time, war felt abstract; now we see armed conflicts almost live—and sometimes uncomfortably close. While political leaders make decisions based on strategic interests, we are confronted with the painful consequences. This forces us to take a position: how far may we go to defend our values? May we use force to protect fundamental rights? And once violence erupts, where do we draw the line?
These are the questions that international humanitarian law (IHL) seeks to answer. It marks the difference between a world where the vulnerable are protected and a world where power justifies everything.
DO YOU INTERVENE OR NOT?
The installation Rules makes the importance of IHL tangible through dance. Amid smouldering remains, the choreography takes us into a world where the laws of war are broken. As a witness, you are invited to step in. Look away, and the law crumbles. Chaos and inhumanity return. As a spectator, you balance on a thin line between passivity and intervention, between complicity and responsibility. Protection is not a law of nature but a choice we make again and again. The moving bodies confront us with an uncomfortable truth: law cannot exist without the will to defend it.
Press the button next to a projection to experience the impact of IHL.