HIWA K

The Bell Project is a two-part video installation by the Kurdish-Iraqi artist Hiwa K. (b. 1975) that poignantly documents an ambivalent cycle of use of raw materials in times of war and peace.

On the one hand, the story of the Kurdish businessman Nazhad is told. Nazhad specializes in recycling the military hardware that has been left behind on Iraqi battlefields in recent war-torn decades. He collects metal from i.e. tanks, military aircraft, weapons and ammunition and melts them into ingots that are subsequently used in industry.

In the second part of the video installation, the casting of a 700-kilogram peace bell is shown. The manufacturing process, which takes place in an Italian iron foundry, involves scenes reminiscent of an archaeological dig. During the removal of the mold, antique Persian ornaments that decorate the bell are exposed. The decorative elements quote five-thousand- year-old reliefs that were destroyed by the Islamic State while The Bell Project was carried out in the period 2007-2015.

Where in historical times of war iron was collected from church bells to cast weapons and ammunition, Hiwa K. turned the process around with her artistic initiative. In a current war situation, he has turned the deadly material into a resounding advocate for peace and an exhortation to cultural conscience.

Hiwa K. is known for working with collective processes that involve different actors and perspectives. His thought-provoking and sometimes very actionist art conveys a desire for humanity, diversity and reconciliation. His works have been exhibited in many recognized exhibition venues in the world – e.g. at the Dokumenta exhibition in Kassel or the Venice Biennale. Hiwa K. born in northern Iraq and migrated approx. 25 years ago to Germany. Today he lives and works in Berlin.

Hiwa K, The Bell Project, 2007 – 2015, SD & HD video, 16:9, color, sound with English subtitles, 35:43 min, 26:03 min, courtesy the artist, Prometeo Gallery di Ida Pisani, Milan and KOW, Berlin, copyright: Hiwa K