MEDIA ALERT

Iraqi artist Wafaa Bilal, who has been living in self-imposed exile within the confines of FLATFILEgalleries, Chicago, will leave the gallery for the first time in 30 days on Monday, June 4, at 5pm.

Bilal, who created the virtual paintball piece to illustrate the continual danger facing citizens in Iraq, has not left the gallery since May 4^th. The installation, titled DOMESTIC TENSION, is being hailed as one of the strongest anti-Iraq-war statements to date, and is being followed in over 130 countries around the globe. Its site has received 80,000,000 hits, and 60,000 paintballs have been shot. It has polarized the community, bringing together protective groups like the VIRTUAL human shield, who take turns aiming the gun away from Bilal around the clock.

After Bilal leaves the space, the web-cam will remain on the tattered remnants of the empty room until the 16^th of June. Although the installation will remain after Bilal.s departure, the gun will be silent as a memorial to all those who have lost their lives in the War in Iraq.

On the16^th of June, there will be a panel discussion at 3:00pm. Bilal and others involved in the project will be present to discuss the project and its implications, as well as the documentary film and book that will follow due to the overwhelming reaction to the piece. The public is invited to a party after the discussion, in celebration of the piece and to assist Bilal and the gallery with clean-up and rehab of the room.