AFTERMATH: THE FALLOUT OF WAR—AMERICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST ON

VIEW

With armed conflicts and their resulting loss, displacement, and geopolitical insecurity a constant presence in the news cycle, artists around the world are grappling with how to make sense of it all. This fall The Ringling presents a particularly timely examination of photography and time-based art created in response to the violence that has erupted in the Middle East, particularly Iraq and Afghanistan, since 9/11.

“These incredibly powerful and haunting images, which have not been seen in the broader media, will resonate with audiences looking for a more profound understanding of what is taking place halfway around the world and the experiences of our veterans abroad and back in their own neighborhoods,” said Christopher Jones, The Ringling’s Associate Curator of Photography and Exhibitions.

Taken together, the 90 photographs, two videos, and interactive component in the exhibition raise important questions, provoke compassion, and inspire reflection. Active in the US and Middle East, the dozen artists in the exhibition depict the conditions and people caught in the crossfire of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine, and Israel from a variety of perspectives.

The international cast of artists included in Aftermath are Lynsey Addario, Jananne Al-Ani, Stephen Dupont, Jennifer Karady, Gloriann Liu, Ben Lowy, Rania Matar, Eman Mohammed, Simon Norfolk, Farah Nosh, Suzanne Opton, and Michal Rovner.

OCT 6, 2017 – JAN 21, 2018

From reportage to contemporary art practice, the images in the exhibition depict civilians dealing with the immediate fallout of these conflicts, as well as war veterans trying to cope with their reintegration into civilian life. Some of the most recent work on view includes representations of the refugee crisis—photographs that bring us up close to the personal, human face of so many who have lost so much.

“Through a variety of approaches and traditions, these photographers and photojournalists, both those who are from the regions in conflict as well as their American and European counterparts, have produced some of the most deeply affecting images I have seen,” said Jones.

Organized by Carol McCusker, Curator of Photography at the University of Florida’s Harn Museum of Art, the exhibition focuses on a select group of work by each artist, allowing for a thoughtful consideration of their visual choices and broader concerns. “Bringing these artists together under the rubric of Aftermath generates a deeper understanding of history, the current crises, as well as positive dialogue about the shared future of America and the Middle East. It asks viewers to set aside biases and see simply something familiarly human.”

The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue with eloquent contributions from the curator, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dexter Filkins, and poets Lisa Suhair Majaj and Kirun Kapur, among many others. A number of educational programs have been organized in conjunction with the exhibition in order to provide meaningful context and augment and deepen the visitor experience.

Among the images on view are striking large-format portraits of a cross-section of the citizenry of Kabul, Afghanistan, by Australian photographer Stephen Dupont (born 1967).

Rania Matar (Lebanese American, born 1964) is interested in capturing the everyday lives of Beirut civilians, including Syrian refugee children, and the ordinary personal detritus left in the wake of war’s destruction. In her series Soldier, American photographer Suzanne Opton (born 1954) positions the heads of U.S. veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan on their side, in moving and vulnerable dialogue with the viewer. And Jananne Al-Ani (Irish Iraqi, born 1966) is represented by a film, Shadow Sites II, of ominous, captivating, and abstracted aerial views of Middle Eastern landscapes, a journey of survey mapping meant to evoke layers of meaning, history, and memories.

Aftermath is made possible by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Harn 25th Anniversary Fund, the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, the Joanne L. and Edward R. Block Charitable Trust, with additional support from the Harn Curator of Photography Endowment.

Art museums are uniquely positioned to help children develop critical thinking and language skills. The process of observing and discussing works of art has been shown to increase a child’s ability to draw inferences and think critically. However, studies have shown that those who could most benefit from such experiences, children from at-risk and fragile families, are the least likely to have them.

In order to better serve these families, arts organizations across the country have been developing accessible programming. For several years The Ringling has offered many ways for people to engage with the museum. Regular programs that are free or low-cost are designed specifically to be financially accessible. Recently, with the support of a board driven initiative for enhancing community engagement, the Museum delved deeper, to see if these programs were reaching their target audience. Research was conducted and uncovered that at risk families often have a negative affinity towards museums.