[spectre] Fake European propaganda movie hits Austria and Bologna

[Franco Mattes]

22 January 2006, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Fake European propaganda movie hits Austria and Bologna
Mattes' grand artwork keeps on spreading in both the public and the 
media space.


'United We Stand' is the title of the much-hyped spy/action movie 
wholly produced by Europe, a large-scale propagandistic stunt that has 
in the past few months stirred much controversy. Too bad the movie 
doesn't actually exist, but it is instead the latest insane provocation 
of the artists' couple Eva and Franco Mattes, better known as 
0100101110101101.ORG. After Berlin, Brussels, Barcelona, New York and 
Bangalore, the gigantic performance has now landed in Austria and 
Bologna.

While the movie itself doesn't exist, the actors and the flashy poster 
do. They portray the inspired faces of the main characters surrounded 
by the blue of the European flag and by gruesome war scenes. The 
movie's Web site also exists - www.UnitedWeStandMovie.com - and it is 
accompanied by an extensive advertising campaign covering half the 
globe, causing extreme reactions in both the streets and the media.

"United We Stand" Eva Mattes explains "mimics the typical Hollywood 
action movie where the US always wins and saves the world. We have used 
their clichéd visual elements, but we have replaced their flag with the 
European one. The outcome is quite disturbing, it seems to me that it 
better communicates what we often take for granted, rather than stating 
what it truly represents".

In the past months, the movie's posters have appeared on the remains of 
the Berlin wall, in front of the European Parliament, underneath the 
Empire State Building and on the picturesque walls of Bangalore, India. 
The campaign reaches across small urban centers as well as the 
advertising-crowded streets of global metropolises. Right now, as 
Austria is about to take over the European presidency,  the advertising 
for 'United We Stand' is appearing on dozens of large advertising 
billboards along the Austrian roads, visible from hundreds of yards 
away.

Still in Europe, but just further south, in Bologna, Italy, the flocks 
of movie fans that notoriously crowd the city have lately been 
wondering how a blockbuster movie with such big names as Ewan McGregor 
and Penelope Cruz could be released without them knowing it in advance. 
Different reactions were found on the McGregor's official fan site: "If 
Ewan decided to do it, I would definitely see it!".

"The choice of the subject" writes Flavia De Sanctis Mangelli on the 
Italian newspaper l'Unità during the days of the New York campaign "a 
supposed war between the United States and China, with Europe trying to 
solve the case through diplomacy, is soaked with subtle and ironic 
provocation. How will Europe convince the two super powers? How can 
European political culture stand up to the great propaganda 
simplifications of Hollywood? The work is a poignant take on the 
tremendous power that the media has in the formation of consensus, as 
well as a biting political satire against a very small Europe, that 
only united could succeed in having its voice heard".

The enormous artwork keeps on spreading, exploiting any existing 
medium, from the traditional news media, such as TV and the press, to 
word-of-mouth and the Internet. "United We Stand" writes Ben Davis on 
Artnet Magazine "with its focus on rejiggering pop cultural codes in 
social space, is a canny updating of Pop art for the age of viral 
marketing, when the mass media has penetrated firmly into the 
everyday".



Parallel to the international promotional campaign, the work is 
exhibited until January the 21st at Postmasters Gallery, New York, and 
at Arte Fiera (January 27-30), in the Fabio Paris Art Gallery (Pad. 21, 
Stand B15).



About the authors

Eva and Franco Mattes - internationally known as 0100101110101101.ORG - 
are a couple of restless European con-artists who use non-conventional 
communication tactics to obtain the largest visibility with the minimal 
effort. Past works include inventing and promoting a nonexistent 
artist; spreading a computer virus as a work of art; challenging and 
defeating Nike Corporation in a legal battle for a fake advertising 
campaign.



--

To contact Eva e Franco Mattes: 
http://0100101110101101.org/contacts.html

More info:
http://www.0100101110101101.ORG
http://www.UnitedWeStandMovie.com
http://www.postmastersart.com
http://www.fabioparisartgallery.com