— Restricted Area | 2014
Wim Catrysse

Warning signs, scattered across the country, bluntly declare: "Restricted Area. No photography. No camping."

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With RESTRICTED AREA a three-channel video installation, we are confronted by the vast emptiness of the Kuwaiti desert—a barren landscape shaped by two dominant forces: the oil industry and the military apparatus. Both operate in secrecy, obscuring their hidden activities and leaving the desert suspended in a state of isolation, defined by control and secrecy.

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Wim Catrysse’s work reflects the enduring impact of 20th-century industrialism on the natural world. The desert—once a site of violent conflict during the Gulf War—assumes an eerie, almost post-apocalyptic quality, evoking the dystopian imagery typical of science fiction.

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In RESTRICTED AREA, Catrysse transforms the landscape from a mere backdrop into the central character of the narrative. Much like in science fiction, where the world itself can drive the plot, here the desert becomes the protagonist. The action does not take place within the landscape; rather, it is shaped and intensified by its very presence. In this sense, the desert is not just the setting—it is the force that propels the story.