Ben Jackel
Boomerang (Gunshot Detector)
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Ben Jackel’s Boomerang (Gunshot Detector) is modeled after a gunfire locator: a system that detects and conveys the location of gunfire or other weapon fire. The original conception for this technology was developed prior to World War I to determine the origin of gunfire. Today, advanced versions of these systems – consisting of microphones, sensors, a processing unit, and a user-interface for alerts – can be found across the United States in law enforcement, military and governmental contexts, as well as at offices, businesses and schools.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
“My teammate on the Smoky Hill High School wrestling team, Ben Grant, was shot in the face and murdered one night at his part-time job at Chuck E. Cheese in Aurora, Colorado, along with four coworkers. Gun violence has affected us all. Today, nearly 50,000 Americans are killed by firearms every year.
This was the first – but not the last – time that gun violence has touched me and my communities. I feel like it has always been there.
Boomerang is a gunshot detection technology that instantly calculates the direction and distance of a gunshot's origin. It was developed for war but now is being deployed throughout American cities. Silent sentinels waiting for the crack of a gun.
I believe to properly address gun violence you cannot use the image of the gun because even that adds to their proliferation. There is mystery in the form of this sculpture but also a specific focus on the conversation of what kind of society needs such a device.”
