Rainer Ganahl : Iraq dialogs with Ghazi Al Delaimi.
Idea and conception for this dialog Rainer Ganahl. Arabic texts and caligraphy Ghazi Al Delaimi. Ceramic studio: Ernan, Albisola
this work is part of a series of dialogs.
These are works made in ceramics in Italy for the 2nd International Biennial of Ceramics in Contemporary Art, Albisola organized by Tiziana Casapietra and Roberto Constantino. Ceramic Studio: Ernan, Albisola. Graphic assistance by: Alida Sini and Gianna Vacca
This work was produced in the late fall and winter of 2002/03 - months before the Second War against Iraq.
My concept for this work consisted in taking logos, titles and other interface elements from News Broadcasts concerning the current Iraq crisis and offering them to a person from Iraq to respond. Usually, these logos are associated with US network news and can be confrontational, aggressive if not even cynical, arrogant and scary: NEXT TARGET?, SHOWDOWN IRAQ, WOULD U.S. USE NUKES? etc. My next step was to search for an Iraqi calligrapher that would be willing to work with me and respond in his own way to my proposals.
I was lucky and able to find Ghazi Al Delaimi who was born in Badgad and lives today in Duesseldorf with a formation as a calligrapher and graphic designer.He also works as a painter and a sculptor.
Over several weeks in Winter of 2002/03 we have exchanged images which he responded to: the process of our exchange can be seen below.
All the sentences written in Arabic are entirely conceived by Ghazi Al Delaimi and don't show any input by me. I didn't try to influence or censor his responses. These are entirely Ghazi's views and statements.
Photographs of high resolution images can be obtained by clicking the image and dragging the image on your desktop. photocredit: Rainer Ganahl.
No photo can be reproduced without my consent and without giving the full title and translation of Al Delaimi's sentence.
Ghazi Al Delaimi and RainerGanahl working
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Installation view , Albisola
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(other installation views find at the bottom)
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Rainer Ganahl
ARAB DIALOG WITH GHAZI AL DELAIMI, ATTACK ON IRAQ?, C-SPAN, CNN, FOX NEWS..., 2002/03
Calligraphy and Arabic text: Ghazi al Delaimi; graphics: Alida Sini and Gianna Vacca at ceramic studio: Ernan, Albisola.
Translation by Ghazi al Delaimi: America wants this war in order to demonstrate its latest weapons of destruction.
Size: 80 cm x100 cm x 1 cm
materials: ceramic tiles: 80 individual pieces, certificate of authenticity
photo: Rainer Ganahl
(clcik image for high res. image)
Rainer Ganahl
ARAB DIALOG WITH GHAZI AL DELAIMI, HOMEFRONT SECURITY, COUNTDOWN IRAQ, 2002/03
Calligraphy and Arabic text: Ghazi al Delaimi; graphics: Alida Sini and Gianna Vacca at ceramic studio: Ernan, Albisola.
Translation by Ghazi al Delaimi: A disgusting smear campaign against Iraq built on lies.
Size: 80 cm x100 cm x 1 cm
materials: ceramic tiles: 80 individual pieces, certificate of authenticity
photo: Rainer Ganahl
(click image for high resolution)
Rainer Ganahl
ARAB DIALOG WITH GHAZI AL DELAIMI, COUNTDOWN IRAQ, WOULD U. S. USE NUKES?, 2002/03
Calligraphy and Arabic text: Ghazi al Delaimi; graphics: Alida Sini and Gianna Vacca at ceramic studio: Ernan, Albisola.
Translation by Ghazi al Delaimi: Bush doesn't know anything about Iraq and its cultural heritage. He has no clue about the old city of Baghdad once named Mdinet-al-salam : city of peace.
Size: 80 cm x100 cm x 1 cm
materials: ceramic tiles: 80 individual pieces, certificate of authenticity
photo: Rainer Ganahl
(click image to get high res. picutre)
Rainer Ganahl
ARAB DIALOG WITH GHAZI AL DELAIMI, CNBC, MAKE IT YOUR BUSINESS, BACK TO THE GULF, 2002/03
Calligraphy and Arabic text: Ghazi al Delaimi; graphics: Alida Sini and Gianna Vacca at ceramic studio: Ernan, Albisola.
Translation by Ghazi al Delaimi: America starves the Iraq people in order to render the rich Americans even richer.
Size: 80 cm x100 cm x 1 cm
materials: ceramic tiles: 80 individual pieces, certificate of authenticity
photo: Rainer Ganahl
(click image to get high resolution picutre)
Rainer Ganahl
ARAB DIALOG WITH GHAZI AL DELAIMI, BREAKING NEWS, SHOWDOWN IRAQ, BAGHDAD, 2002/03
Calligraphy and Arabic text: Ghazi al Delaimi; graphics: Alida Sini and Gianna Vacca at ceramic studio: Ernan, Albisola.
Translation by Ghazi al Delaimi: Bush and his father will enter history as war criminals against the Iraqi people and as scrupelless destroyer of the environment deploying radioactive weapons.
Size: 80 cm x100 cm x 1 cm
materials: ceramic tiles: 80 individual pieces, certificate of authenticity
photo: Rainer Ganahl
(click image to get high resolution image)
Rainer Ganahl
ARAB DIALOG WITH GHAZI AL DELAIMI, ROAD TO WAR, 2002/03
Calligraphy and Arabic text: Ghazi al Delaimi; graphics: Alida Sini and Gianna Vacca at ceramic studio: Ernan, Albisola.
Translation by Ghazi al Delaimi: War games for silly big boys.
Size: 80 cm x100 cm x 1 cm
materials: ceramic tiles: 80 individual pieces, certificate of authenticity
photo: Rainer Ganahl
below : more installation views:
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click image to get high res image.
