BAGHDAD: During a time of political transition for Iraq, with a new government still yet to be formed following elections last October, Iraq’s Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Hassan Nadhim inaugurated the 14th Al-Wasiti Fine Arts Festival on March 28 within the halls of the General Arts Department at the ministry’s headquarters in Baghdad. “In this edition we have
Curator Essay: Heba Elkayal on Speaking Across Mountains
Speaking Across Mountains: Kurdish Artists in Dialogue attempts to demonstrate two key things. The first concerns how contemporary Kurdish artists are examining particular themes vis-à-vis the greater question of Kurdish politics, including, but not limited to, ethnic Kurdish identity and representation; self-autonomy in an era of political repression by foreign governments; forced displacement and exile; and matters related to gender politics. While their practices vary greatly, these questions permeate the works by the ten featured artists in both direct and subtle forms.
Hailing from Iraq, Syria, and Turkey (Iranian representation will occur within concurrent film programming), these artists are in dialogue with one another’s works and personal circumstances. Just as the Taurus and Zagros mountain ranges symbolically dominate the cultural and emotional landscape of the Kurdish people, this exhibition seeks to explore