Photography in Afghanistan II

Photography in Afghanistan II

By Geneviève Gamache

Interviewing and listening the artists, there is an obvious desire to change the world’s perspectives and assumptions of Afghanistan.  Yet at the same time, all the artists recognised that the strongest hindrance to their art practices, and indeed to life in Afghanistan in general, are the safety concerns.  Although the international community believes war to be over in Afghanistan, terror attacks by suicide or car bombings are a constant reality, particularly in Kabul.  Thousands of people have died since the end of the war, but 2019 has been particularly violent for the capital.  The July 1st attack by car bombing and gun fire killed 45 people and wounded 116 more, while the August 17 suicide bombing at a wedding killed 90 people and injured 140 others.   Talibans and ISI claim responsibilities for most of these attacks.

Talking to the artists, it is obvious that they want to capture the ‘reality’ of life in Afghanistan, particularly the reality of life in Kabul.  Yet this reality includes the insecurity brought on by terrorist attacks.  Resilience and violence are parallel to one another.  One, in fact, exists in its present form because of the other.  When it comes to the exhibit, to show resilience is also to acknowledge the country’s difficult history.  We can see this reality in the two sections of the exhibit: Challenges and Life in Conflicts. 

It is also interesting that many of the artists chose photography as their medium of choice because of the ‘reality’ conveyed by the lens.  Yet, from a critical perspective, photography is framed, selective, and constructed, the same as any other visual form.  Nevertheless, we can clearly see in the artists’ responses a desire to capture the moment, the extraordinary normalcy of everyday lives, and most importantly the ‘real’.  This view of, and interests in, photography as a medium for the ‘real’ might be a reflection of the artists’ background, but also Kabul’s art centres/hubs that support and teach photojournalism.  Yet, it is also due to the weight of the international gaze on Afghanistan.  Afghan artists, including photographers, are aware of the image perpetuated in the global media and the international community’s imagination.  This image of their country is narrow, simplistic, and suits a narrative that is not only superficial but is not grounded in historical reality nor the reality of contemporary experiences.  It is this construct that artists in the country and in this exhibit are challenging.  They are doing so by bringing their own constructs, yes, but as a response to what is presented as reality on the foreign screen.  They are also aware of their roles in changing the image of Afghanistan.  In the early discussions between the curators and the artists, it was obvious that the latter were acutely conscious of this as well as the impact their images would have in either supporting or questioning the existing representation.