This is Camp X-Ray is an

art installation Installation art is an artistic genre of three-dimensional works that are often site-specific and designed to transform the perception of a space. Generally, the term is applied to interior spaces, whereas exterior interventions are often called ...

created by the artist Jai Redman, a member of the

Ultimate Holding Company Ultimate Holding Company is a British arts collective situated in Manchester. It is known for This is Camp X-Ray and Ext-inked and was founded by Jai Redman and Joseph Richardson Joseph or Joe Richardson may refer to: * Joseph Richardson (Ame ...

(UHC)

art collective An artist collective is an initiative that is the result of a group of artists working together, usually under their own management, towards shared aims. The aims of an artist collective can include almost anything that is relevant to the needs ...

. The installation was a full-scale

replica A 1:1 replica is an exact copy of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without claiming to be identical. Al ...

of part of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

military Guantanamo Bay detainment camp, and featured actors performing the roles of guards and prisoners in cells and

interrogation Interrogation (also called questioning) is interviewing as commonly employed by law enforcement officers, military personnel, intelligence agencies, organized crime syndicates, and terrorist organizations with the goal of eliciting useful informa ...

rooms, as well as demonstration of known interrogation techniques. This is Camp X-Ray was constructed in the Hulme area of the city of

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

and was operational from Friday 10 October to Saturday 18 October 2003. Costing approximately £3000, the

Arts Council England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three s ...

covered half the cost. Due to the political nature of the project, the installation received a few complaints including from

Conservative party The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right. Political parties called The Conservative P ...

MP Andrew Rosindell, and David Lee the editor of the arts newspaper ''

The Jackdaw ''The Jackdaw'' is a British arts magazine, published since 2000 in London, United Kingdom. History and profile ''The Jackdaw'' was founded by art critic David Lee in 2000. He is also the editor of the magazine, which is critical of the art wor ...

''. Lee said "This is simply a reconstruction, it is bald documentary and has nothing to do with art. The Arts Council supports this kind of stuff rather than supporting good art. It is both corrupt and corrupting." A DVD video documenting the live installation, entitled ''This is Camp X-Ray: Manchester Responds To Injustice With Art'', by Damien Mahoney was released in December 2004. The DVD includes an interview with the sisters of

Jamal Udeen Al-Harith Jamal Udeen Al-Harith, born Ronald Fiddler
''The Age'' (Australia), 13 March 2004. Retrieved 3 January 2 ...

, a Manchester resident who was detained in the real Camp X-Ray for two and a half years without charge.

References

{{coord, 53.4666, -2.2479, display=title English art Culture in Manchester 2003 works Guantanamo Bay detention camp Buildings and structures in Manchester