Afghan Art fights War
An illustration sheds light on the apathy of the international community towards the plight of Afghans, specifically Afghan women. Sharbat Gula, whose piercing portrait on the cover of National Geographic in 1985 put a face on war-torn Afghanistan, is now living in Rome, multiple outlets reported. The illustration shows a woman in a burka clutching a Sharbat Gulas photo, with the headline “Forgotten.” The Lady Liberty Library contains several witty works by Afghan female artists, which fight distorting imagery.
Parwana Haydar’s video collage, titled “Foot ache,” is displayed on a video screen located in the Hallway of the courtyard. The video was created using artificial intelligence and shows a young Afghan girl dancing on a rubble-covered surface to the traditional frame drum ‘daira.’ The Artist is a member of the AVAH Collective, a group that researches and shares multimedia about Afghanistan. It arose due to a lack of available information and long-term initiatives regarding the historical and contemporary practices originating in or related to Afghanistan.
The Goethe Institut Kabul, a cultural institution of the German Foreign ministry, had to move to Berlin in 2017 after a terrorist attack. A “Focus Afghanistan” event was held at the “Goethe Institut in exile” in Berlin and showcased artists and social activists.
ArtLords is a group of artists and activists from Afghanistan who want peace and progress instead of war and warlords. Collectively created murals are produced in public space. InEnArt talked to the Founders in Berlin at the end of June. Omaid Sharifi is commuting between the US and Afghanistan as a voice for greater civic rights. Kabir Mokamel has relocated to Kabul from Istanbul and emphasized that “my work makes sense in Kabul.”
ArtLords and others try to prevail over Warlords
Some of the pictures in the video are from Afghan Punk, a Berlin-based multilingual community magazine that connects liberation struggles with creative storytelling. Armeghan Taheri started it up, and it’s a hit with the younger Afghans living abroad.
On August 15, 2021, the Taliban seized Kabul and overthrew the Afghan regime. Most Afghans think of the day as point zero. About 1.8 million Afghans left the country, making the total number of Afghans in neighboring countries 8.2 million. This is one of the most serious refugee situations in the world.
Rising poverty, restrictive policies, unfair treatment, and the marginalization of women from public life are triggering intense conflict. Women are not allowed to go to schools or universities, suicides and murders are increasing, and activists talk about femicides.