Anthem revisits a little-known moment from the 1930s, when the Iraqi sports delegation traveled to Germany for an international athletic event. Iraq did not yet have a vocal national anthem. When each delegation was required to sing before the assembled crowd—and with Adolf Hitler in attendance—the head of the Iraqi delegation improvised by singing “Belly Ya Balboul,” a children’s song written by the Iraqi Jewish composer Balboul.
In this work, the artist reenacts that figure. The scene is digitally composed using purchased stadium footage, merging archival imagination with contemporary reconstruction.
Installation views
Video stills
Details:
- One-channel video installation
- Dur.: 03:00 min
- 4K digital | stereo | 4:3
- Prod. co.: Woodpecker
- Anim. & VFX: Tommi Lehtonen
- Sound: Sami Rahola
- C.: Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, Beirut, LB