Walid Raad Oh God, he said, talking to a tree_Aita al-Sha'b: August 1, 2006 2004/2008

  • Not on view

At first glance, Raad's grid of prints appears to be an organized series of abstract shapes. In fact, the forms are isolated clouds of dust and debris cut from a larger picture. The smoke is the visual aftereffect of violence, bloodlessly capturing the bomb explosions that were so prevalent in Raad's homeland of Lebanon in 2006. The full source images—presumably more graphic—taken by amateurs and media outlets, are eliminated; Raad leaves only the clouds of smoke as a poetic yet powerful documentation of political violence.

Gallery label from Here Is Every. Four Decades of Contemporary Art, September 10, 2008–March 23, 2009 .
Medium
One from a series of 31 digital prints
Dimensions
composition (irreg.): 7/8 x 1 9/16" (2.2 x 4 cm); sheet: 16 15/16 x 22" (43.1 x 55.9 cm)
Publisher
AG_Publishers, New York and Beirut
Printer
AG_Publishers, New York and Beirut
Edition
7
Credit
General Print Fund
Object number
600.2008.25
Copyright
© 2024 Walid Raad
Department
Drawings and Prints
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