Whisky Tango Indian Quebec Whisky

José Manuel Palmeiro
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The piece explores the uncertain pathways of communication delineated by maps, icons, and broadcasting media. Palmeiro's warning reminds us that the airplane holds both a pivotal role and an element of danger within this context. Without adhering to a structured narrative, the artist assembles a subjective map through the encounters and juxtapositions of recorded images. These captured planes traverse the map, weaving together seemingly anarchic fragments.

This audio and visual deconstruction commences with a text and the broadcast enumeration of the title's words. English instructions, derived from an erratic exploration of tailoring patterns, resonate. Codified numbers are then explored using a flashlight over the radio dial. Following the tailoring maps, we are presented with altered satellite images of Spain, accompanied by various radio voices, as well as road maps of the USA. Simultaneously, a hand drawing is displayed while Spanish references to elections are heard. The artist subsequently presents us with images of press ads for dogs and clothes, as the radio transitions to French and then Portuguese. The piece concludes with an image of an eye in a psychic advertisement accompanied by a drumroll. A passing plane echoes the paraphrased title on the radio. Against the background sound of a newscast, a fixed image reveals a bullet. Different shots of planes flying above the camera, with their original sounds, gradually amalgamate into a composition of noises. The tempo intensifies, culminating in the climax of a plane's scratch, both visually and audibly. Emergency sirens wail as another plane passes by, followed by the camera until it descends to the ground. This cacophony of repetitions, signs from diverse forms of communication, disorders, and various bricolages demonstrates the intimate connection between sound and image within its delirious realm.

Technical datasheet

  • Title: Whisky Tango Indian Quebec Whisky
  • Direction: José Manuel Palmeiro
  • Production: 1993.
  • Duration: 00:05:10
  • Original format: High 8
  • Formats: .mov
  • TV systems: PAL
  • License: Copyright