Michael Rakowitz: Haunting the West | Art21 "Extended Play"

Episode 273: Drawing upon his Iraqi-Jewish heritage, Michael Rakowitz critiques ongoing systems of colonization in his sculptural and participatory work. The artist recounts a formative memory from his childhood, when his mother took him to see reliefs depicting the lion hunt of Ashurbanipal in the Assyrian galleries at the British Museum and posed the question, "What is this doing here?" For Rakowitz, this moment crystalized his understanding of museums as places of extraction, colonization, and crime. In his work today, Rakowitz explores ways to subvert the imperialist role of museums, interrogate the value they place on objects over people, and create ongoing systems for repair and accountability.
From Jane Lombard Gallery in New York City, Rakowitz shares his recent bas-reliefs, "Room F, section 1, Northwest Palace of Nimrud" (2020), as part of his ongoing project, "The invisible enemy should not exist," which began in 2007. Originally focused on creating the more than 8,000 artifacts looted from the National Museum of Iraq following the 2003 U.S. invasion, the project has expanded to include architectural reliefs stolen from the Assyrian palace of Nimrud, which was destroyed by ISIS in 2015. Rakowitz refers to his works as "ghosts" of the original artifacts, returning to haunt Western institutions. He uses the packaging of Middle Eastern food goods as papier mâché to create the reliefs and sculptures shown at Jane Lombard Gallery and the Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College, explaining that "if a ghost is going to properly haunt, it has to appear differently than the entity appeared when it was living."
Rakowitz recounts his grandparents' journey, fleeing from Iraq following the "farhud," a violent dispossession of Jews from Baghdad in the 1940s, and subsequently immigrating to the U.S. He calls them as "the first installation artists" that he ever met, describing the importance of the Iraqi objects, furnishings, and food that filled their home. Now, food packaging and products function symbolically in the artist's work, from his "Enemy Kitchen" (ongoing from 2003) cooking workshops to his monumental "Lamassu of Nineveh" (2018) sculpture, composed of Iraqi date syrup cans and installed on the Fourth Plinth in London's Trafalgar Square. These works offer new ways to discuss Iraq and Iraqi culture outside of media narratives of war and violence, while addressing issues of empire and provenance, and proposing routes for decolonization.
At his studio in Chicago, Rakowitz describes the importance of keeping his studio connected while working apart during the COVID-19 pandemic. His assistants work independently on sculptures and busts from their homes and then gather at the studio's outdoor space to review their work and pick up more materials. For Rakowitz, this project to create over 8,000 missing Iraqi artifacts, much like decolonization, is an ongoing process-one that will likely outlive both the artist and his studio.
Learn more about the artist at:
art21.org/artist/michael-rako...
CREDITS | Producer: Ian Forster. Interview: Ian Forster. Editor: Thomas Niles. Colorist: Jonah Greenstein. Sound Mix: Adam Boese. Camera: Jarred Alterman, Ian Forster, Andrew Kemp, and Keith Walker. Assistant Camera: Charlie Stoddart. Sound: Rich Pooler. Music: Blue Dot Sessions and Nazem al-Ghazali. Archival Material: ABC; CBS; CNN; Daoud Shamoon Family Archive; Beit Hatfutsot; Caius Julyan, Pond5; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Montalvo Arts Center; Otniel Margalit Collection; Pandastock, Pond5; Dr. Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin; and UNESCO.
"Extended Play" is supported by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Arts; and, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; Dawn and Chris Fleischner; the Art21 Contemporary Council; and by individual contributors.
TRANSLATIONS
Translated subtitles are generously contributed by our volunteer translation community. Visit our translation team at Amara for the full list of contributors:
amara.org/en/videos/EpLcmITcX...
#MichaelRakowitz #Art21 #Art21ExtendedPlay

[@tristenbest]

Strong concept creates strong art. Love it

[@conardartistichands5291]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqXUdH59n7Kbis0

[@Thelaurelbird]

Thank you for sharing this !! Opened me up to a truth about a culture I’ve known so little about.Truly inspiring artworks on so many levels!!!🙌

[@FcoGabler]

The work of this artist is the perfect example how art is made out of the culture and context you´re sorrounded by. Enemy Kitchen is pure genious; he turned a conflict into a cultural integration and reflection.

[@charpnatl]

This is very moving and inspiring to me. That so much creativity , problem solving , recreation and beauty can come about from so much destruction , strife and sorrow is testament to Michael doing what he was put on this earth to do. I also appreciated him sharing his experiences with his mother She sounds like an incredible, strong and very intelligent woman .

[@donaldhrussell]

Great video, Michael!

[@roisiles]

Now that's what I call art

[@MaryjaneBim]

I saw some of these at Williams College museum a few years ago. Extraordinary. Inspiring. Fascinating. Wish they we’re still close by.

[@johnhoelen5901]

Amazing work. Answering theft and senseless distruction with living creative values!!!

[@kalaan7335]

Such a pretty video and art works. Thanks for what you’ve been doing

[@princecaspianofthesea5905]

wow! What an incredible on taking and powerful artwork.

[@gavinyates9189]

Thank you, keep up the good work.

[@VillamizaRincon]

Love it so much!

[@rifkyputra99]

Thank you 👍

[@albertabdul-barrwang3494]

Totally awesome and thanks for sharing.

[@nikkkisumray2972]

Incredible man, artist, human 💖

[@suzannedesylva3805]

Such important work..

[@ThePattiw]

Firstly so refreshing NOT to hear how awful Iraq is. When Michael R said the stolen objects in the Western Museums are valued but the people of those countries the artifacts were stolen from are being devalued by the Western world tells everything, doesnt it? Powerful work.

[@jetsonjoe]

wonderful amazing man...very handsome and speaks clearly and thoughtfully of the terror of war

[@skullingtonfly]

Inspiring 🙏🏼

[@bobb1870]

I love the works and the story behind it. Many artifacts will never be returned, the sad result of the world's antiquities. Wealthy families have provided the funds for the stolen art black markets worldwide. They also bankrolled the terrorists groups in America, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other nations who steal and destroy antiquities. Finally, art museums are a curse and blessing, hold them accountable. We must hold those who fund the stolen art markets accountable with heavy fines and jail time, will it happen - No. Spineless politicians will not allow it to happen. We will have to flush out those criminals ourselves before the world stage.

[@oyyosef]

מלך

[@dislikebutton1718]

Looks like Al madrigal

[@mares3841]

😞

[@duart310]

Illrocq

[@christodoula]

Like he's got a mouthful of marbles.

[@breezart9800]

Is he really Iraqi? All his works are related to Iran... the works of Takht Jamshid, Shiraz and Pasargad.... Why does he introduce his works as Iraqi?

[@TheKunstlich]

Yes, the artifacts in the British museum were taken from Irak, but let’s face it, had they not been taken, they would be destroyed by now. By idiotic religious extremists. Or egomaniac despots. Once, the east is stable, the return should take place. For now, let’s be happy they still exist, protected.

[@alimehraban5637]

Such a pointless comment. If you had any conception of how these museums operated as part of the colonial project, their relationship to the making of history, and the trajectory of that project and it's consequences, you would have had something very different to say. But you clearly don't, so instead you have some batshit positive comment underpinned by a complete ignorance for why the world is the way it is today.

[@caro_es]

They were effectively destroyed by the US and the British as a result of the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003. Likewise, Palmyra in Syria was destroyed by extremist militias funded by the US, British, French and their allies, the Saudis and Qataris, to overthrow Assad. So you're correct that these artefacts would have been destroyed [by the British] if they had not removed to the British museum.

[@JacksonPolyp]

Exactly - no indication at all that he recognizes the irony of his position. Colonial powers unwittingly saved those reliefs from destruction.