Where dialogue comes to an end, war begins.

War introduces terrifying realities into the space surrounding the battlefield: destruction, devastation, massacre, cruelty. These are not merely abstract concepts, but concrete conditions that have shaped the history of human life across time. From within this enduring and deeply persistent condition, we have continuously come to recognize both ourselves and the world around us.

More often than not, warriors have devastated not only their opponents, but also everything surrounding them, including what exists and what no longer remains. Whether the conflict unfolds between two individuals or between nations, the surrounding world is drawn into ruin.

This event reflects on one of the most persistent conditions of human existence. It speaks of those people and those things destroyed at the margins of conflict, including those who, in the end, were awarded medals of honor, buried through magnificent ceremonies, or remembered as victors.
Curatorial Statement by Omid Shalmani