The exhibition "Terrorists Win" will take place from May 6 to 8 at Backhaus Projects.

It is based on the online first-person shooter Counter-Strike and features a room installation around which live drawings are created. The project emphasizes the creative process among the participants and the negotiation of compromises between individual contributors.

The artist team includes Andreas Herbst, Niels Christopher Pahl, Philipp Weis, Rubens Präg, and Juli Zangger. Andreas Herbst and Juli Zangger contribute two installation elements, while Niels Christopher Pahl, Philipp Weis, and Rubens Präg create the three surrounding walls using charcoal on paper.

In Counter-Strike, players compete in two teams—either terrorists or counter-terrorists. Terrorists win by planting a bomb and defending it until detonation, while counter-terrorists win by preventing this outcome. Within the game, there is no political context to these roles; the game has no storyline and conveys no ideological message. Nevertheless, phrases like “Terrorists Win” (used within the game to indicate the bomb has detonated) provoke strong ideological reactions in today's discourse.

Intrigued by this discrepancy our project explores our interpretations of the phrase “Terrorists Win” in contemporary society, and reflects on the aesthetic legacy left by early versions of Counter-Strike.

Opening hours: May 6–8, daily from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Finissage: May 8 at 6:00 PM