THE GUNSHOTS AT VASAPLATSEN

Six Criteria For the Use of the IMAGE in the Digital Millennium

A Pictorial Essay by Göran du Rées

What is an image? What is film? Can we understand and appreciate the genuine, the credible and the reliable? In which respect can we speak about truth? What does the word reality signify today? Do we possess the knowledge to interpret images? The result of the artistic research project The Gunshots at Vasaplatsen, by professor Göran du Rées, raises questions surrounding SEEING, THE IMAGE and REALITY.

Background

It will soon be ten years since the dramatic events took place at Vasaplatsen, which is a square in the centre of Gothenburg. What happened there in June 2001 was the culmination of three days of clashes between police and demonstrators. The EU summit and the American president’s visit was intended to serve as a "grand finale" for the Swedish presidency of the European Union, but ended in chaos and mayhem. It was the first time since 1931 that the Swedish police force had fired live ammunition at demonstrators; it resulted in three people being shot – one of whom was seriously injured. A policeman was also seriously injured as a result of the stone-throwing.

Never before in Swedish legal history has a single event been filmed and depicted by so many cameras; the media, the police, private persons and reporters from alternative news channels from all around the world were on the spot. Different compilations of images – and sounds – from the city of Gothenburg played the leading role in all of the news coverage. However, it was the riots and the damage that received the greatest amount of coverage; and it was mostly images of these events that were to be used as evidence in future court cases against the demonstrators.

The pictorial evidence was presented in court as faithful reconstructions of the course of incidents. The film the prosecutor used as evidence against Hannes Westberg became the one that was discussed most and that led to an onslaught of opinion in the media. There was talk of forgery and manipulation of evidence.