The Weapons’ Reputation

The Weapons' Reputation is an Investigation into the Geopolitics of Arms Trade.

The project questions the integrity of the business of weapons as legal commerce of tools of warfare. Every conventional weapon is produced and sold with a license; nonetheless, there is an enormous lack of responsibility among those who work in the defence industry. As a case study, the ongoing conflict in Yemen (2015-present) is examined through the type of weaponry employed. The research has been translated into a 17-minute film, extended by a repository of weapons employed in the conflict, visualised as investigative case files.

The film narrates the war from the perspective of three weapons: an American laser-guided bomb, a combat aircraft manufactured by four European countries, and a missile of Iranian origin. The United States and Europe military support the coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arms Emirates, while Iran backs-up the Houthis. It is from the debris of weapons that survived to the impact with their target that it is possible to investigate not only who "pulled the trigger" but also who designed, produced, acquired and delivered it.

The Weapons’ Repository showcases arms systems and components transferred to the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi militia during the period of 2014/2015-2019, therefore exported after the beginning of the Yemeni civil war. These items have been used against civilians and civilian infrastructure in a nation with an active arms embargo on non-state military groups. The investigations here collected derive from different sources: most of them are already verified and published by reliable platforms, others researched on purpose.

The research thesis investigates conventional weapons through their military, economic, and political aspects.

Arms manufacturers are deeply rooted in the local industry: for the number of employees, for the products, parts, and technology developed as Research and Development and then flown into the Defence sector.
Weapons are relevant economic goods used both as political tools to tie alliances and to bolster the reputation of states among other countries. To what degree is the business of arms trade influencing foreign relations and subsequently fuelling conflicts? And how can the role of weapons be highlighted in current events? As a case study, the conflict in Yemen has been documented through the perspective of three weapons: by tracing their route, from the countries of origin to the end-users, it is possible to outline the dynamics of warfare, and which nations have a political and economic interest to feed it.

The publication is available on ISSUU

Master in Information Design, Graduation Project - Design Academy Eindhoven (NL), 2020

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