[MSN] Looted Iraqi Artifacts in Contemporary Art

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Lombard-Freid Gallery
531 West 26th Street,
New York, NY 10001
www.lombard-freid.com/

MICHAEL RAKOWITZ
The invisible enemy should not exist
January 12 - February 17, 2007
Opening Reception: Friday January 12, 6-8PM

Lombard-Freid is pleased to present The invisible enemy should not exist,
Michael Rakowitz's most recent project, an attempt to reconstruct the
archeological artifacts looted from the National Museum of Iraq in the
aftermath of the American invasion in April 2003.

The title of the exhibition takes its name from the direct translation of
Aj-ibur-shapu, the ancient Babylonian street that was used as a
processional way and that ran through the Ishtar Gate. This magnificent
blue tile gate, which was excavated in Iraq in 1902-1914 by German
archeologist Robert Koldewey, is on permanent exhibition at the Pergamon
Museum in Berlin. In the 1950s, the Iraqi government rebuilt the gate;
close by stands a reconstruction of the ancient city of Babylon, created
by Saddam Hussein as a monument to his own sovereignty. Today the
reconstructed Ishtar Gate is the site most frequently photographed and
posted on the Internet by US servicemen stationed in Iraq.

The invisible enemy should not exist unfolds as an intricate narrative
based on extensive research about the artifacts stolen from the Museum,
the current status of their whereabouts, and the series of events
surrounding the invasion, the plundering and related protagonists.

Alluding to the implied invisibility of these artifacts-initial reports
about their looting were inflated due to the "fog of war," stated Museum
officials-the reconstructions are made from the packaging of Middle
Eastern foodstuffs and local Arabic newspapers, moments of cultural
visibility found in cities across the United States. The objects were
created together with a team of assistants using the University of
Chicago's Oriental Institute database, as well as information posted on
Interpol's website. This exhibition represents the incipient stage of an
ongoing commitment to recuperate the over 7,000 objects that remain
missing.

Serving as a display structure for the recreated artifacts, Rakowitz has
designed a long continuous table, whose shape derives from the
measurements and layout of the Processional Way.

A series of episodic drawings punctuate the installation. The drawings
reveal a narrative that includes the story of Dr. Donny George, former
President of the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage and Director
General of the National Museum in Baghdad, who worked tirelessly to
recover looted artifacts.

Under Saddam Hussein, Dr. George worked at archeological sites to avoid
Ba'ath Party meetings and also sidelined as a drummer in a band called
99%, which specialized in covers of Deep Purple songs. A version of their
"Smoke on the Water," recorded especially for this project by the New
York-based Arabic band Ayyoub, becomes the sound background for the show.
The original lyrics recall a disastrous fire during a Frank Zappa concert
at a Swiss casino, in which the entire building was destroyed. After
threats to his family, Dr. George resigned his post, fleeing to Syria in
August 2006. He arrived recently in the US as a Visiting Professor in the
Department of Anthropology at SUNY Stony Brook.

Michael Rakowitz's recent exhibitions include Return, a project in which
he resurrected his Iraqi grandfather's import-export business in order to
bring Iraqi dates to the US-the first such shipment in over 25 years. The
shop was located on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn in the heart of New York
City's Arab community. The project was presented by Creative Time as part
of its Who Cares initiative. Rakowitz's upcoming exhibitions include the
Sharjah Biennial 8 and the Istanbul Biennial.