Walid Siti - New Babylon
About the work of the artist in relation to his Iraqi-Kurdish origin. With photos of his installation at the 56th Venice Biennale 2015 and earlier works.
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Color print, wood panel, video in loop
250 x 450 cm
54th International Art Exhibition
La Biennale di Venezia, 2011
Pavilion of Iraq
In "Beauty Spot" (…), the monetization of a landmark is literally and explicitly made, not originally by the artist but by the Iraqi government, whose currency now features the Gali Ali Beg waterfalls on its 5,000 Iraqi Dinar Note. Gali Ali Beg, made up of seven waterfalls, is a popular tourist destination. When its waterfalls began to run dry in the summers from drought, the Kurdish government enlisted a company to pump water into the falls. The measures taken to restore the falls to its "natural" state were unique considering the nation's ongoing water crisis, and the lack of funds that have been directed towards reconstituting water resources for public use.
(Rijin Sahakian, exhibition catalogue)
© Photo: Haupt & Binder
About the work of the artist in relation to his Iraqi-Kurdish origin. With photos of his installation at the 56th Venice Biennale 2015 and earlier works.