'Stolen Past' by Hrair Sarkissian is currently showing at Ibraaz in London until 24th May. The exhibition showcases images of lost artefacts from the Raqqa Museum in Northern Syria.
Taking over the grand Majlis space of Ibraaz are 48 plinths arranged in four rows exposing Hrair Sarkissian's lithophanes—3D thin translucent panel images lit from behind, each revealing either ancient figurines, ceramic vessels, pottery fragments, or clay tablets. These artefacts part of 800 that had since 1981 been preserved in the Raqqa Museum collection, were looted between 2013 and 2017 when Raqqa came under the control of IS. The artefacts were either trafficked onto the illegal antiquities market or destroyed.
Hrair Sarkissian's 'Stolen Past' works were created by adapting a mid-19th Century technique into 3D printing, with Sarkissian turning to mobile phone photographs taken at the start of the Syrian war by the archaeological team of the Raqqa museum and local residents of Raqqa in the hope of safeguarding the objects.
Hrair Sarkissian's work renders the invisible visible, his work delves into memory, heritage, loss, grief, cultural erasure, and recovery.
Sarkissian's exhibition is a must see, upon entering the space, there is a feeling of both collective mourning and reclaiming the past, restoring history through imagery and art.
Hrair Sarkissian's powerful work makes the viewer consider the significance of artefacts, the importance and meaning of culture and heritage, the past, a Stolen Past, restored through photography and lithophanes, and through a collective memory of those that visit the exhibition and see Sarkissian's work.
Hrair Sarkissian https://www.hrairsarkissian.com
Ibraaz ibraaz.org
'Stolen Past' by Hrair Sarkissian
Exhibition curated by Odessa Warren
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