VICTIMS’ SYMPTOM

This text is available for download in five languages (English, German, Spanish, French and Polish) on the website, as well as Bosnian and Russian 1) in print.

The concept of the victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ..., usually in relation to the oppressor, has been analysed widely in literature on the subject, especially on its disciplinary intersection with studies on gender and sexual identity (or queer studies). Major theorists of the twentieth century have attempted to decode literary texts that speak directly about victimhood – texts that were prohibited or forgotten because of the prescriptive censorship of previous centuries, such as writings by the Marquis De Sade or the nineteenth century Austrian writer Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, as well as twentieth century French theorist Georges Bataille 2). A wide interest in the obscure, perverse personal relationship that actually symptomises political relationships – both totalitarian and oppressive – has found its way into other interdisciplinary research. However, apart from examining the concepts of victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... and oppressor, other detailed concepts have rarely been analysed.

Psychiatric (rather than psychoanalytical) diagnosis of neurosis, schizophrenia and psychosis has found its way into cultural studies; these conditions are analysed as cultural symptoms, disinfected of their clinical negative value, directly in the writings of French psychotherapist Guattari 3). They have become concepts that, on the one hand, have helped to prevent cultural condemnation of mental illness, showing that whole cultures and societies (can) display the same symptoms. But they have also opened the way to exploration of the innovative, lucid or obscure knowledge “of madness” that was previously censored.

On the other hand, they have also shown the cultural participation of producing symptoms in individuals. Whatever is defined as “behaviourally” or “mentally disturbed” and “mentally ill” is boomeranged back to society itself (minus some genetic predispositions), with the pressure of society on fragile individuals returned to the source.

Although I am not a psychoanalyst but a media theorist and curator, I have dared to take a “hot” concept from the last few decades in the territories I come from (South Eastern Europe), a concept that has political and economic implications and therefore opens up a discourse. The concept, entitled Post Traumatic Stress DisorderPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... – or PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... – has been popularly named “Vietnam syndromeAccording to Sadock, the psychiatric morbidity associated with Vietnam War veterans that finally brought the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder, as it is currently known, to fruition ...” or event specifically “tortureTorture represents the most severe form of trauma perpetrated by one human on another (Silove, 1996) ... syndrome”, “concentration camp syndrome”, “psychosexual tortureTorture represents the most severe form of trauma perpetrated by one human on another (Silove, 1996) ... syndrome” or “Stockholm syndromeThis term was coined after the failed bank robbery in Stockholm in order to describe the positive emotional bond that a kidnapped victim may develop for their captor ...”. It is a clinical diagnosis describing a variety of symptoms that has a trigger in common: a traumaPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event ... 4).

Indeed, traumaPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event ... has been examined widely in the field of cultural analysis, especially in literature studies, but also in film studies, predominantly analysing HolocaustHolocaust is the term generally used to describe the killing of approximately six million European Jews during World War II, as part of a program of deliberate extermination planned and executed by the National Socialist (Nazi) regime in Germany led by Adolf Hitler ...-related literary and movie production. These include analysis of formative narratives that use “flashbacksFlashbacks are spontaneous, transitory recurrences ...” to the traumatic event, with its specific oppressive time looping, but also symptoms of PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... such as denialAvoiding the awareness of some painful aspect of reality by negating sensory data ... and unwillingness to talk about the traumatic eventPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event .... However, the clinical concept of PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... has not been applied.

PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... has a more specific, usually political, definition that may not be applicable in all cases mentioned in the previous analysis. First of all, it does not distinguish between the victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... and the oppressor, but treats everyone with symptoms as patients. Furthermore, PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... is institutionally framed; it includes the political and also the social and economic aspect of victimhood. This depends on the interest of the state or international human rights organisations against tortureTorture represents the most severe form of trauma perpetrated by one human on another (Silove, 1996) ..., as well as interest in the effect of traumaPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event ... on direct or collateral victimsSee also: collateral damage, comorbid diagnosis ... in terms of their social functioning. It also depends on the negative aspects of perceived danger for society, where danger to oneself is also subsumed. Often suicides or mass murders, combined with suicides as a result of PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ..., can continue terrorising the environment and reflect the traumaPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event ... back to society after a traumatic eventPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event ... such as war has finished. The inversion of roles may happen almost at any time. Another part of the political and economic meaning of PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... is, as forensic psychiatrists warn, the influence of “secondary gain”, such as war pensions or taking advantage of the health system. This can produce exaggeration or even simulation of PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ..., which becomes a barrier for the forensic evaluation, putting great pressure on the forensic psychiatrist. Fake PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... has different sets of apparatuses to gain different profits. In contemporary society, PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... has become an “institutionalised victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ...”, something that society may be afraid of.

In this text, I intend to elaborate further on the possibility of applying the psycho-traumatic diagnosis of PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... to a broader field of culture, especially to the realm of media theory, analysing the recipient or the public. In the first part of the text, I focus on the precise use of the concept of the “victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ...” through the quite disturbing lens of queer studies, coming to terms with the topic of “self-victimisationSee dependence projective identification ...” and a cultural need for victimisation and institutionalisation of victimsIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... as mentioned by Beauvoir, who was referring to the behaviour of “saints”. From there, I will come back to my original field of media studies.

In her writings, the French feminist author Simone de Beauvoir drew our attention to the socially accepted inverse victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ...-role 5). A consecrated victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ..., she noted, could be a tyrant as well. Reading of saints as exhibitionists who are playing upon our guilty conscience and by it divinising themselves has destabilised our notion of “heroes” as “moral paradigms”. This concept has actually been transferred to the field of performance studies. Bataille has also subversively elaborated on the political connotations of the role of the victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ..., analysing the perverse enjoyment of the role and its actual sadistic power principle. VictimsIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... can engage in and even enjoy their passive aggressionBy definition it is an expression of aggression to other persons but indirectly in a form of passivity, masochism, or turning the aggression against the self ... and the moral responsibility for their own pain, thus displacing the source of pain, victimising the other.

What can be deduced from the writings of both authors is the rhetoric of the “speech of the victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ...”. Once we recognise this speech, we can interpret a variety of writings around us, using it in a matter of style rather than content. VictimsIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... have culturally replaced the role of heroes, freelancing victimsIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ..., to become more anonymous and socially condensed. VictimsIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... have become whole nations, religions or social groups 6) . Still it is only in media studies and political studies that the research of such speech appeared, especially in regard to recent US politics. “VictimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ...’s speech” is used for economic and military gain, becoming a simple pattern that shows itself easily inverted while emotionally direct; to justify attacking a country it is enough to state – “we are their victimsIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ...” and ask for compassion rather than reason.

With a destabilisation of the concept of the victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ..., it has almost become impossible to decide “who is the victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... of whom”, and which is the original traumaPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event .... This also applies to the radical traumaPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event ... of PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ....

One of main parameters of PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... research has been focused on the assessment of the “prevalence of the traumaPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event ... that ranges outside the normal experience in the population”, producing a feeling of horror, fear or helplessness in the face of a traumatic eventPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event ..., or even if not – expressing anger and shame for not experiencing horror at the first encounter 7). However, nothing has been said about the effect that media images or discussion can have on the population in general. Is the continuous drip feeding of war images in contemporary society possibly creating the same levels of fear and paranoia on the general population? If so – traumaPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event ... can be mediated.

But is that news? We were warned by education experts that violence on TV can influence the behaviour of children, especially children exposed to “in your house, too” horror fiction… And surely, we know the role-call of nightmares has been influenced by the terrifying figures of media horrors, too. Fears and stressStress is not a useful term for scientists because it is such a highly subjective phenomenon that it defies definition. The term is in use from 1936 when Hans Selye defined stress as "the non-specific response of the body to any demand for change" ..., paranoia, images of wars, death, corpses on TV – all these have an impact, slowly but surely mixing real and simulated disturbance… or more precisely, mixing the real and political speech.

If mediated images can produce symptoms of PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ..., the problem becomes: who is deciding to produce these images and why? Are the people who are providing us with such imagery as guilty as the people in non-simulated reality? Is this reality having the same effect? Phenomenologically, it seems so. Wars can be conducted simultaneously in reality and on TV. Speaking about war, then, immediately introduces its discourse, creating a meaning of war that it does not have in reality. It forces us to choose a side at least, even when we are not affected by the war in real life. By choosing sides – we are actually finding ourselves in the middle of the war itself.

There is a difference between how the media reports on war in peaceful societies versus in waraffected societies. Usually denying the cruel reality of war images, citizens of countries that are affected by war do not have a need to watch wars on TV. Some authors refer to these societies as “erotic”, for different reasons: these citizens are more inclined to live in the moment due to the direct threat of death and there is proof of higher birth rates during the period of conflict. At the same time, cultures that reside in peaceful societies, whether they enjoy that peace or not, are more compelled to watch images of war, and are accordingly identified as “thanatic” – disengaged, less concerned with mortality, behaving as if they would live forever, but also having “colder” social relationships 8) . Still, outside of poetic description, there might be a commonsense reason there – it is a traumaPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event ... that prevents a direct confrontation with imagery for some 9). Furthermore, traumatised memory tends to return, while consumption mimics the same repetition 10).

But why is there a desire by societies not affected by war to integrate this war imagery into their lives? The algorithm of real and virtual seems to be out of proportion to each other. As the Dutch media theorists Adilkno have noted, violence in the media increases as the media becomes more distant from the body 11). So the more distant the danger is, the greater the need to be afraid, to feel alive and to separate from the “deathness” 12) . Still, are they safe from being traumatised? And what happens when the tolerance of such imagery increases?

Can our media society be affected by mediated PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... 13)? And what is the relation to the real victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ...?

A discussion about my text “War profiteers in art”, which was held in parallel on two email lists/networks in September 2007, talked about the use of war imagery at the Venice Biennale exhibition curated by Robert Storr and has opened up a space for analysis of the media use of victimsIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ..., or re-victimisation of the victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... 14) . Namely, a great number of artworks displayed war images, although their authors had no original experience of the war itself. This “war tourism,” recognised by Susan Sontag, has grown into a kind of mass “war postcards” consumption 15).

The text was written as the Bosnian city of SrebrenicaThe Srebrenica massacre was the July 1995 killing of an estimated 8,000 Bosniak boys and men, in the region of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina by units of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS), under the command of General Ratko Mladic' during the Bosnian War ... was fighting for victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... status. SrebrenicaThe Srebrenica massacre was the July 1995 killing of an estimated 8,000 Bosniak boys and men, in the region of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina by units of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS), under the command of General Ratko Mladic' during the Bosnian War ..., which fell under the media spotlight during the time of the massacre that was recognised as the largest genocideGenocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction of an ethnic, racial, religious or national group ... in Europe after the HolocaustHolocaust is the term generally used to describe the killing of approximately six million European Jews during World War II, as part of a program of deliberate extermination planned and executed by the National Socialist (Nazi) regime in Germany led by Adolf Hitler ..., has lost its media attention now. Images of other conflicts have become more important, while SrebrenicaThe Srebrenica massacre was the July 1995 killing of an estimated 8,000 Bosniak boys and men, in the region of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina by units of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS), under the command of General Ratko Mladic' during the Bosnian War ...’s traumaPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event ... is recycled constantly through mediated imagery.

There is no copyright on war imagery, of course. However, there is the original traumaPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event ... of the victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ..., though it has nothing to do with the “speech of the victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ...” and needs of contemporary society to enjoy these images on TV 16). It is not about numbers of people, at all, it seems – but the discourse, which surely can have consequences. After all, it is not the event but the intensity and duration that produces PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ..., resulting in a coherent refusal of such imagery in the end, with this denialAvoiding the awareness of some painful aspect of reality by negating sensory data ... as a symptom. These formal political and economic consequences include faking PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... in order to gain war pensions, apartments or even to act as an excuse for unacceptable behaviour.

The mass media, due to its ownership, produces fake victimsIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... in the sense of the explanation of war, where usually the aggressor comes as the first victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... to explain the revolt and aggression, inverting the position. Contrary to state-owned media or international political agencies, the Internet is said to be an effective therapeutic tool for a variety of symptoms and disorders, for its displaced, non-personal, but direct connection. However, as has occurred since the early days of the Internet, fake identities are appearing too. For example, one psychiatrist assumed the identity of a woman experiencing the traumaPsychological trauma can happen soon after witnessing or being the victim of a traumatic event ... of a car crash with severe invalidity 17).

VictimsIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ...’ Symptom (PTSDPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the anxiety disorders that occur after a person sees, is involved in, or hears of an extreme traumatic stressor ... and Culture) will be produced online, in several phases/layers; including documentation, an online debate featuring theoretical texts using this one as a starting point, and finally a series of commissioned artworks.

Between the “confession of a victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ...” appearing in blogs and the “role of the victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ...” appearing in the mass media that treats people not as individuals but as illustrations for mass daily war reporting, totally disinterested in their individuality, the project serves as a shift (in the curatorial sense), tunneling through different information.

The project will connect artists and theorists in online discussions on various platforms, as well as anyone else interested debating concepts of the victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ..., victimisation and the institutionalisation of victimsIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... 18). Its goal is therefore to de-construct and de-activate the emancipated “third agent” construction of victimsIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... by the media, which acts as an intermediary between the different sides of war.

The project will be organised around commissioned artworks that will serve as triggers and be accompanied by a blog space for discussion and writing by theorists, artists and other interested individuals. An open call will be sent out inviting individuals to participate in the discussion, as well as inviting artists to contribute to a database of artworks dealing with some of the following topics:

• Why is an image of a dead body meaningful in some societies while in others it loses its capacity to provoke anger or compassion, rather serving to produce attitudes?
• Why does the mass media prefer to talk about numbers of corpses, calculating them morbidly, instead of the victimIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ...’s status? Does the number of victimsIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ... make any difference?
• Is there a sophist paradox between a number and a mass of victimsIn different sciences the term victim has different meanings. The term is most often use in criminology, religion, psychotherapy and New Age context ...? At what point can we start talking about genocideGenocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction of an ethnic, racial, religious or national group ... and mass murder 19)? And in what ways are we affected by these events?