This contemporary art installation examines the 2001 destruction of the colossal 5th century Buddhas of the Bamiyan Valley in central Afghanistan by the Taliban, and the subsequent years of war and rebuilding. Bamiyan, co-created by Vancouver-based artist Jayce Salloum and Afghan artist Khadim Ali, explores the story through photographs, miniature paintings, and videos.
Recording the destitution of central Afghanistan today, the exhibition focuses on the situation of the Hazara people, a persecuted Shi’a Muslim minority, UNESCO’s efforts to conserve the Buddhist caves, and rebuilding efforts following the stationing of NATO forces in the Bamiyan Valley.
As an important cross-cultural dialogue between a Canadian artist and an ethnic Afghan-Hazara artist, Bamiyan expresses the complexity of current conditions in Afghanistan. It reflects the artists’ views of the possibility of resistance, hope, and beauty in the context of ongoing conflict.
Presented by the Institute for Contemporary Culture in collaboration with SAVAC (South Asian Visual Arts Centre) and the Images Festival.