“Touch me” (South Africa – France Seasons 2012-2013). Le Cube, Issy-les-Moulineaux, Paris, France, 1 – 30 October 2013

Exploring the concepts of memory & memorial, “Touch me” (2013) is a digital, touch-sensitive, video and sound artwork created by Paul Emmanuel. It is a non-partisan complement to his The Lost Men France planned for the 2014-18 Centenary of World War One. “Touch me” portrays a progression of closely-cropped, video vignettes of Emmanuel's body either fully exposed or clothed in historic and contemporary military regalia or in formal corporate attire.

A soundtrack of the artist's voice invites the viewer to touch the ‘sensitive screen’ or ‘skin’, provoking the enrobing and disrobing of different areas of his body, revealing and concealing his skin temporarily branded with the names of casualties of armed-conflict. These fleeting impressions fade or re-appear as the viewer continues touching – evoking a repeated ‘healing’ or ‘re-wounding’ of the skin.

“Touch me” depicts the names of both black and white South African First World War servicemen, pressed into the artist’s body alongside those of the Allies and Germans. Further unveilings also reveal South Africa's involvement in The Second World War, Korean War, Angolan Bush War, the 2012 Marikana Miner's Massacre and the 2013 Central African Republic Conflict. The exhibition of “Touch me” (2013) at Le Cube is organised as part of the South Africa-France Seasons 2012 – 13.