Now and There
Video Projection: Inserted video of artist
performing in three archived photographed locations
In this work, the artist is projecting his earlier understanding and the
symbolic elements of the word “Revolution”: how revolution became a dream that
the entire Kurdish society lived and acted with. He is producing a video work using archived
images of the people, places and locations that form a large space in his
memory of the dream of revolution in order to communicate his nostalgic
attachments to all the excitement and energy generated in the past.
Living far away from his homeland and possessed by those memories of the
past, Jasim attempts to re-create a dream that is like a version of the events
of the past and only exists in his memories. By inserting videos of himself
acting with minimal movements - reading a book that was the center of
discussion and argument throughout his youth and adulthood in Kurdistan - he
attempts to communicate insights and the ongoing objectives of the revolution
that change the way he looks at the future of humanity on earth.
Jasim recalls his memories of revolution
Location 1: Tawela, Awesar- The new border
landmark
Photo: Saddam Hussain and the King of Iran after signing the Algeria
Agreement
Slogans: (In black) Down with Algeria Agreement; (in red) Long Live the
Revolution
Music: “The revolution has not ended, we don’t submit to pain and
failure. Although we have suffered, we are proud and unbeaten fighters”
I grew up in a family that was heavily involved with the political
movement in Kurdistan. My memories of
revolution go back to 1974 when the Kurdish political movement for independence
was in negotiation with the central government of Iraq. The Kurdistan
Democratic Party governed our region at that time, but my father was a member
and the organizer of the Iraqi Communist Party in our town. I remember the
numerous times that he was arrested by the ruling party and all the meetings
and discussions that happened in our house.
The Kurdish negotiations with the central government failed after the signing
of the “Algeria Agreement” between Iran and Iraq in 1975. In that agreement, Iran agreed to withdraw
its support for the Kurdish movement; in return, Iran was given land in the south
of Iraq and in the Kurdish area. The Kurdish movement at that time declared
that the revolution had failed, and people who were involved escaped to Iran
and Russia. After the withdrawal of the Kurdish armed movement, a large area of
land in our village was added to Iranian land in a formal ceremony between
officials of both countries. Many
families in our village were affected and pushed out of their land. In the same
year, the “Patriotic Union of Kurdistan” was formed by Jalal
Talabani (current president of Iraq), and the Kurdish revolution for
independence started again.
Location 2: Tawela, Hana Swsw
Slogans: Down with fascist policies of compulsory evacuation of
villages; Long live the revolution of Kurdistan.
Images: Two martyrs from Tawela.
Music: “I am taking this call from Kurdistan to all over the world. Come
and gather comrades. The revolution is very strong here, the revolution of
workers.”
When the Iraqi regime regained its political control over Kurdistan and
our region, it started with a policy to evacuate the villages in the mountains
and on the border with Iran. They called this campaign welfare reform, but it
was very obvious that the main aim was to evacuate the Kurdish population from
strongholds of revolutionary activity and to move the inhabitants to cities and
compulsory camps. The Kurdish armed and political movement started organising
activities against this policy: freedom fighters started their underground
activities, attacking government headquarters and writing graffiti on walls
against the compulsory evacuation of villages.
Hana Swsw was a popular street for freedom fighters to come down to at
nighttime, attack the government head quarters in my village, Tawela, and write
anti-government slogans.
Location 3: Halabja, Pasha Street, 1980-1988
Slogans: Long live the revolution
Image: Saddam Hussain falling to represent the popular demonstration in
1978
Other images: martyrs who were killed in the Kurdish uprising
After the breakout of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980, our village was heavily
bombarded and we were forced to move to nearby towns and cities. Halabja was a
city committed to revolution, where many popular protests, demonstrations and
underground activities were organized against the Ba’ath party and its
discriminative policies against Kurdish civilians. My brothers were involved in secret
activities for the Iraqi Communist Party; one of my brothers then became a
communist freedom fighter. Our house was one location where people gathered to
discuss the political situation and to plan activities. Pasha Street was one of the places in Halabja
where freedom fighters and underground activists met and carried out their
attacks against the government. I was too young to think of joining the
political groups, but I was well aware of my family’s political affiliation and
I was very proud to share what was discussed at home with my friends. Halabja suffered constant bombardment by Iran
and military attacks by the regime on several occasions. As I was studying in
Sulaimanya, I escaped two major brutal attacks by the Ba’ath regime. The first
was the popular peaceful demonstration in 1987, which demanded democratic
reforms and the recognition of Kurdish equal ethnic rights. The regime
responded by shooting, carrying out public executions and demolishing one of
the largest residential areas “Kani Ashqan – Lover’s spring”. The second was
the chemical attack in 1988 when more than 5000 civilians were brutally
massacred and more than 10,000 injured.
