The wonderful world of targets

In her new, internationally oriented art project TARGETS, the photographer Herlinde Koelbl deals with military training and the cultural differences reflected in the shooting targets typical of each country. The photographs, created in a period of six years in almost 30 countries, will be shown for the first time in the commemorative year of the First World War 2014 at the German Historical Museum.

The extraordinary focus of the work is on the shooting targets, where people are trained as soldiers and prepared for war. They make the transformation of enemy images visible. Does the enemy have a face? Is it abstract? In order to do this, Herlinde Koelbl traveled to military training grounds in the USA, China, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Ethiopia, Norway, or Mongolia. The photographs show shredded human silhouettes made of cardboard, plastic dolls riddled with bullets, or metal plates pierced by rounds. They simultaneously show different war techniques and topographies: American soldiers train urban combat in desert cities designed by Hollywood set designers, Japanese military personnel prepare for wars in unknown locations in surrealistic concrete canyons.

The photographs are complemented by video and sound installations and portraits of soldiers. Quotes from interviews provide a personal insight into the situation of soldiers on the shooting ranges around the world. In the end, they are the targets in armed conflicts. Without any sensationalism, Herlinde Koelbl makes the real cruelty of death and war palpable in her images.

The exhibition "Targets" can be seen from May 9 to October 5, 2014 at the German Historical Museum in Berlin. The book for the exhibition: Herlinde Koelbl, "Targets", Prestel 2014, 240 pages, 49.95 euros.