Anthem revisits a moment from the 1930s when the Iraqi sports delegation traveled to Germany for an international event. Iraq did not yet have a vocal national anthem; when required to sing before the crowd—and with Adolf Hitler present—the delegation head improvised by singing “Belly Ya Balboul,” a children’s song by the Iraqi Jewish composer Balboul.
This digital print reconstructs what remains of that event through a composite image. The artist digitally recreates the stadium, inserts himself into the role of the delegation head, and preserves the scene inside a vintage photo-album format, echoing archival aesthetics. The work is accompanied by the video Anthem, which reenacts the event.
Installation view
Details:
- Digital print on paper
- Composite photograph, 14 × 22 cm
- Vintage photo album
- C. by: Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, Beirut