Vertigo of presence: Chantal Akerman’s NOW, nomadic dwelling and the ‘war machine’ within the context of contemporary moving image works

How can the heightened time–space correlation of (armed) conflict, if at all, be represented in an art context? This article explores how Chantal Akerman’s multi-channel installation NOW (2015) can be read in view of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari's (1988) ‘war machine’, a concept suggesting a rebellious strategy defined by nomadic existence and acted out against the State and its involvement in capitalist control systems. In this context, nomadic dwelling with its enhanced sense of ‘smooth space’ offers geographical, psychological and audio-visual dimensions. Aiming to examine a range of takes on the political, economical and existential dimension of warfare within contemporary art, the discussion draws parallels with moving image works by Harun Farocki, Anri Sala, Regina José Galindo and Elizabeth Price. A mapping of the proposed theoretical framework across individual case studies allows for a rigorous examination and differentiation of audio-visual and conceptual methodologies and their phenomenological implications.