As the title of the work suggests, modern warfare is an expired, loveless relationship in which the invading parties are simply going through the motions. The banality of this arrangement is mocked by the oversized pink heart, which speaks to the superficial, even tacky, nature of the “theater” created by the parties’ intent on going to war. The vehicle on the left bears a strong resemblance to a British Humber armored car, one of the most widely produced armored cars for WWII.

Its machine gun, pointed away from view, disappears into the undercarriage of a second military vehicle, one that bears a strong resemblance to the American M1117, a mine- resistant armored military vehicle that was deployed in increasing numbers after 2001 in Iraq and Afghanistan. This striking visual obviously also suggests that both protagonists also have their sights set on other objectives and willingly engage in war to further a hidden agenda, for example as a means of obtaining access to oil fields…