By Annelise Schübeler
“The reality of violence is unfolded in the project I Died In Italy But No One Knows It (2007-10), which is an investigation of the trauma following a violent attack Brandt himself was victim of when living in Rome. It consists of photos, objects, videos and textiles. The title-work consists of appliqued silk and ink in which the title I Died In Italy But No One Knows It speaks to how the ‘I’ has both experienced its death and survived it, only this loss is not recognized by the surrounding world. This is unfolded in the work by way of bits of text on shiny silk. The concrete surrounding world is maintained in statements such as ‘Roma’ and ‘Police’ and the very personal experience in texts such as ‘Betrayal, Loss of Friends’ and ‘1966-2002’ which are the years of Brandt’s birth and of the assault, which is thus given the status as the year of his death. There are texts that reflect the experience itself: ‘Violent Assault’ and ‘Male-dehumanization. It contrasts the universal subject, who cannot encompass dehumanization, and Brandt’s work thus destabilizes the basic, universal subject position, which has historically belonged to man”. (Annelise Schübeler, extract from Peter Brandt’s gendered dialogues, in the book Post Trauma Documents, page 18, 2016).
I Died in Italy But No One Knows It, applicated silk, marker pen 242 x 330 cm. 2007