Blazo Kovacevic, associate professor of art and design at the University of Delaware, is not the first artist or designer to use LEGOs to make cultural commentary—but he is the first to apply them to the Southern Border crisis. Kovacevic has worked on many political and socially critical projects over the years. I spoke to him about LEGO in particular—and the wit and wisdom of using such a popular brand for satiric purposes.
Tell me about the origins of this project.
For many years, I have investigated issues surrounding the loss of identity and privacy in the context of global monitoring of people and information. These issues have become increasingly relevant as technology continues to evolve and security concerns arise. The kinds of technology that are implemented for the sake of security often rely on the imaging of the human body and personal items. While maintaining public safety is an important concern, the introduction of physical security inspections, body scans and X-rays of personal possessions introduces an erosion of privacy.
As an illegal immigrant, one exists in a constant state of uncertainty, inspiring the name “Incited” for the first project addressing immigration and privacy. This project begins with a tragedy: on Feb. 24, 2015, a cargo van carrying 54 illegal immigrants from various countries crashed near Leskovac, Serbia. “Incited” presents this accident from several perspectives, one of which is through animation using computer game technology. Viewers see a bird’s-eye view recreation of the event, emotionally distanced from it through augmented reality. This interactive AR experience allows the audience to visualize individuals inside the van, resembling an X-ray depiction. This concept extends to VR and printed installations on large glass surfaces, where transparency enables dual imagery, switching between normal and X-ray views based on the light source. Spending time in the gallery during late afternoons enhances the effect, revealing the full range from transparent to opaque imagery.
With the LEGO Immigration series, I am pushing this recreation concept further, bringing games and playing outside of the computer and technology.
At the core of my art projects is exploring empathy and reflection. The issues concerning immigration, security and privacy are complex and multifaceted. The individual must consider many angles and perspectives, but the discussion is not always approachable, or at least it hasn’t been until now.
There is nothing more friendly, more approachable than the concept of play. While playing with LEGO bricks with my sons Maksim (17) and Toko (9), I realized that the LEGO building system is a perfect vehicle to tell a story that LEGO itself will likely never address. We had plenty of LEGO pieces, and with the help of my young apprentices, Maksim and Toko, I started a family business of building LEGO sets related to illegal immigration. In a fusion of the familiar and the unexpected, I decided to use LEGO brick as a medium for social commentary within the Immigration Series, made up of the sets “Human Trafficking,” “Border Wall,” “Migrant Boat” and “Migrant Raft.” Additional sets exploring stowaways, river crossings and semi-truck human trafficking scenarios are currently under construction. This project aims to address the issues of illegal immigration in a way that is accessible to the average person. While the Immigration Series depicts scenes of the peril, struggle and vulnerability that illegal immigrants face, it does so in a way that is meant to encourage interaction. Many of us grew up with these delightful building blocks. We understand them as vessels for wild ideas and creativity. This medium aims to transport the viewer to a child-like moment where they can imagine these issues in a learning environment without preconceived notions. With education at the heart of this project, adults and children alike are encouraged to engage with the complex issue of illegal immigration. While the idea may seem uncomfortable to some at first, it also teaches us not to be ignorant. Empathy, compassion and change only arise when we face hardship.
At the forefront of all these projects is the effort to place us in the shoes of others, to not simply ignore problems because they do not personally affect us. This work encourages us to initiate a dialogue around personal privacy and the dehumanizing process of immigration and displacement. These issues, albeit uncomfortable to confront, offer opportunities for meaningful interaction and personal transformation.
LEGO is a registered trademark—are you using “parody” “satire” and “fair usage” to get around the trademark? In fact, can a work of art be your justification?
I use all of those legal means to criticize our society without anyone being spared. Without the freedom to express and point to injustices through art and design work, I think they would not be visible to as many people. This work is critical and political, utilizing a known system of building worlds to explore realities parallel to the positive and carefully crafted worlds of official LEGO sets. While there is nothing wrong with the prioritization of “positive” learning that LEGO seems to be invested in, it can sometimes come across as a one-sided and performative endeavor. With this work, I offer an alternative form of play that isn’t inherently positive or negative but instead does not shy away from the idea of conflict. The educational component of these sets might be the best part of the attempt to bring these issues to young minds that will be tasked with solving many of the problems we are facing today.
Where will this be exhibited?
So far, I have shown the LEGO Immigration Series of work in several university shows, where I wanted to test its value and impact on the targeted population. I am just entering the real-world art scene with this project and have had conversations with several museums and contemporary art centers.
What has the reaction been to date?
I received a very positive reaction from the audience. Most of them are college students, so I believe they understand and appreciate the hidden messages in these LEGO sets. The college crowd has the background and education to understand the complexities of the message while also being familiar enough with the medium to appreciate the subversion of the beloved LEGO brick.
Many of them approach the sets with familiarity. I even had one student who worked at the local LEGO store tell me she didn’t know the company had come out with an immigration set, just to find out that they indeed had not. What struck me about this interaction was the blind trust that came with seeing the familiar “brand” and toy. People are curious enough to approach the issue because of their association with bricks, but they stay for the dialogue that the topic and presentation inspire. It was very satisfying to see the students’ interest in the project and how believable the packing and presentation turned out to be. A lot of care went into finding the specific materials for this project, trying to get that nostalgic feel just right.
A lot of research and trial and error went into formatting the packaging of these sets. I noticed that LEGO has a very specific way of angling and positioning the character figurines and backgrounds depending on the audience they are trying to reach. This was a very interesting challenge to face. Packaging often comes secondary, but in this case, it felt essential to the project because it gives it that feel of legitimacy. The initial believability of the project as an official set is what puts the audience in the specific mindset of trying to reconcile the project as a work of art but also a toy that they could dare to interact with.