"Lynne Cohen photographed target ranges from different contexts, such as hunting schools, police academies, and military facilities. The architecture of these installations is as telling as their props: the often cramped confines heighten the tension of the shooting situation; the images and shapes of the targets reflect the stereotypes about the opponent. Over the decades, the setup has changed drastically. Analog props and real weapons are replaced by screens and digital rifles. In this process, the targets have become opaque: who is the enemy in today’s virtual scenario?"

Text by Matthias Pfaller for the exhibition Laboratories / Observatories, Centre Pompidou, 2023

Training

Soldiers, police forces, firefighters, and TV presenters take over vital tasks in our society to protect, control, and mediate it. In light of constant threats against the status quo, they rehearse their skills to combat enemies, save lives, and tell stories of the events of the world. Yet, despite the importance of these professions, their training and production sites are rarely accessible to the public. The photographs take us behind the scenes and show their sophisticated infrastructure as testing grounds for possible emergency situations. Therefore, what is at stake here is not actually reality, but its simulation.

Extract from the press kit of the exhibition Laboratories / Observatories, Centre Pompidou, 2023