Art Basel Hong Kong

Michael Rakowitz (b. 1973) is an Iraqi – American artist working at the intersection between problem-solving and trouble

making. Across two decades, his practice has focused on highlighting the invisibility of Iraqis beyond images of conflict, either through food, archaeological artifacts or other narratives.

His ongoing series The invisible enemy should not exist (begun in 2007) unfolds as an intricate narrative about the artifacts stolen from the National Museum of Iraq, Baghdad, in the aftermath of the US invasion of April 2003; the current status of their whereabouts; and the series of events surrounding the invasion, the plundering and related protagonists. The centrepiece of the project is an ongoing series of sculptures that represent an attempt to reconstruct the looted archaeological artifacts.

Alluding to the implied invisibility of the museum artifacts (initial reports about their looting were inflated due to the “fog of war,” stated Museum officials), the reconstructions are made from the packaging of Middle Eastern foodstuffs and local Arabic newspapers, moments of cultural visibility found in cities across the United States. The objects are created by a team of assistants using the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute database, as well as information posted on Interpol’s website. This project is an ongoing commitment to recuperate the 7,000+ objects that remain missing.

 

迈克尔·拉科维茨是一位游走于解决问题和制造麻烦之间的伊拉克裔美国艺术家。二十年间，他的实践侧重于通过食物、考古文物或其他叙事，体现伊拉克人在战争之外的不可见物。

 

他当前的系列作品 “The invisible enemy should not exist”（始于2007年）以错综复杂的叙事方式展开，讲述了2003年4月美国入侵后从巴格达的伊拉克国家博物馆盗走的文物；这些文物目前的下落；以及围绕入侵、掠夺和相关人物的一系列事件。该项目集中于一个正在进行中的系列雕塑，艺术家尝试用它代表重建被掠夺的文物。

 

为了暗指博物馆文物的不可见性（据博物馆官员说，关于它们被劫持的报道是由于 "战争的迷雾 “而被夸大了），这种重建体现在中东食品和当地阿拉伯报纸的包装上，它们是在美国各地城市中最可见的民族文化一瞬。这些物品是由一个助理团队用芝加哥大学东方研究所的数据库，以及国际刑警组织网站上发布的信息制作的。这件不断进行的作品是对仍然失落的7000多件文物的一种承诺。