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Author: Clara Tatlow-Devally
It has been seven years since Mosul city was taken back from IS control by Iraqi forces. Since this time, Iraq’s oldest city has been on the road to recovery; a process of rebuilding trust, developing infrastructure and returning to normalcy. Named Rawabet (meaning “connections” in Arabic), our project based in Mosul city aims to support this healing process.
This Spring the Community Centre held a photography workshop. Open to anyone interested in learning the basics of photography, the workshop offered an introduction to the accessible art form. Ten eager, excited community members attended the workshop. Mahmood, photographer and teacher, showed participants basic skills and techniques, designed to elevate the practice of photography with a smartphone.
A selection of the photographs from the workshop will be presented in an exhibition in the Rawabet Community Centre in Mosul, Iraq as well as in Berlin, Germany. In both cities we invite friends, family and community members to join us for an evening of art, exchange and connection.
In Berlin we warmly invite you to join us on the evening of Thursday, July 25th from 19:00 in Cafe Arakil at the Spore Initiative, Hermannstraße 86, 12051 Berlin. This event is for free. All are welcome.
Visions of Mosul: Rebuilding in Resilience showcases a collection of photographs taken by residents of Mosul city, alongside a projected audio/visual ‘walking tour’ of Mosul’s neighbourhoods. Depicting food, nature, architecture and landscapes from across Mosul’s cityscape, the selected photographs offer viewers a picture of normalcy for a place that has, for so long, been represented as a troubled and destroyed city.
The exhibited photographs will serve as a jumping off point for a panel discussion, exploring themes of psychology and imagery, as they relate to the context of Mosul, and beyond. Joined by therapist and activist Zilan Sarah Koessler, we will speak on mental health in the post-conflict context, specifically from the Kurdish and West Asian perspective, where she has personal and professional experience. Artist, photographer and researcher Nadine Hattom will shed light on the process of photography in post-conflict settings. Her expertise will facilitate a discussion on landscape photography, embodiment and the relationships between conflict, nature and the cultural processes that shape them.