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MISS LANDMINE 2007 The Norwegian director and actor Morten Traavik organised an unusual art project: a beauty contest among Angolan women mutilated by landmines. The civil war in this south-western African country ended in 2002, but still there are an estimated 80.000 landmine victims out of a total population of 13 million. Mutilation and beauty? Our reporter Karl-Heinz Kloppisch (Berlin) had some questionmarks. > “Miss Landmine” is an art project that fosters awareness concerning landmines and their victims. Why and how did you start it? > TRAAVIK: Landmines have always seemed to me one of the most horrible weapons imaginable: very cheap to make, extremely durable and causing maximum damage. Anti-personnel mines are even designed not to kill, but to disable — from the cold calculation that a soldier with his legs blown off will tie up the work capacity of at least two helpers and a medic. Angola is just beginning to recover from one of the longest and most brutal civil wars of recent history, and left-over landmines are a constant danger to most people there. At the same time, beauty pageants are one of the most popular forms of events in sub-Saharan Africa. < > Do the European citizens ignore these pro blems because they are so far away? > TRAAVIK: If I may be allowed to generalise, I think that Western Europeans are the most well-informed about global political and humanitarian issues, and simultaneously feeling most guilty about not caring enough about global problems. < > Live 8 and HIV-prevention are initiatives that use art or the publicity of famous personalities to create aware ness. What is the main difference to your project? > TRAAVIK: One important differenceis that the stars of “Miss Landmine” are not white Western pop artists or politicians, but Africans themselves. Another difference is that “Miss Landmine” wishes to portray these landmine survivors not as poor, suffering victims to be pitied, but on the contrary as dignified, strong and beautiful women with ambitions, skills and potential just like all the rest of us. < > How do the victims thems elves feel about the project? > TRAAVIK: I prefer to use the term “survivors”, not “victims”, since the former implies an active accomplishment, the latter a passive state. The ladies were absolutely delighted byboth the project’s message, and to get a paid assignment and a free trip to the capital, and not least, to be stars for one day and look great! << | Miss Landmine