Melissa on the Road - Spring News // Letter
20 years of Iraq at War - Celebrating activism in art
Dear friends,
I hope, as usual, that this post finds you well !
First, in order to make sure you only receive these "news // letters" if you want to, I'm now moving them to Substack, for free (obviously!), so you can subscribe or pass...
I still intend to post 4 to 6 times a year, about my writing, some travels, new discoveries, journalism, and issues that seem inspiring, insightful or thought-provoking, still with the spirit of sharing and connecting.
Here is the link to the Substack newsletter:
Thanks for reading so far !!
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Iraq, 20 years after the start of the war in March 2003
From July 2022, I've been thinking about the coming 20 years since the start of the war in Iraq. In March 2003, the Anglo-American military coalition decided to invade the country, with the consequences we know.
In a previous post on my blog, I also explained the link between my research on music history and politics, my book on Bristol, and my recent work for a couple of reviews and websites. Read the most recent here: 2003-2023.
As I wrote in this post, I went to the US for a short stay at Northwestern University's Journalism school, as the war was starting, in April 2003.
In April 2016, I also travelled to Iraq Kurdistan, while finishing the French version of my book, working for a charity helping women and displaced people on the ground.
More on this here: Iraq: Action in Kurdistan and Nineveh for IPDs.
This year, I wanted to focus on the artists who opposed the war and worked to support the Iraqi people, in the UK & in Iraq:
'The UK-based artists memorialising Iraqi national sacrifice'
- For the New Arab - read here:
And our 'Iraq' issue
I also suggested to my co-contributing editors at the Markaz review to dedicate an issue on the country.
Thanks to months of dedicated work on the issue, TMR 28 is also here !
My piece on Kurdish researcher and composer Hardi Kurda:
A piece I suggested, photos from my friend Susan Schulman:
Read all the articles of the issue here:
And finally, my review of American Iraqi artist Hayv Kahraman's last exhibition in London, last year
Writing on other great artists & social change
Photo by myself - Arnolfini, Jan. 2016
On filmmaker and art agitator John Akomfrah:
Interview with the legendary graffiti artist Mode 2,
at the 'Beyond The Streets' exhibition in London!
Read here:
On the work of the American, feminist, and progre
With Jerusalem-bord, Jaffa-based artist and
archives researcher Dor Guez
And more soon about:
French Algerian film artist Katia Kameli...
...Currently exhibited in Paris at ICI (18e).
And Zanele Muholi at Maison Européenne
de la Photographie, Paris (4e arr.)
My Music Column on the SWANA region
A piece on the history of Raï, with Hadj Seemer
Interview with Haifa-born Berlin based
singer-songwriter Rasha Nahas
Finally : a coming talk
Conversation with the incredible Chile-born artist and activist Alfredo Jaar at the Goodman Gallery
Alfredo Jaar (b. 1956, Santiago, Chile) is an artist, architect, and filmmaker who considers social injustices and human suffering through thought-provoking installations. Throughout his career Jaar has used different mediums to create compelling work that examines the way we engage with, and represent humanitarian crises. He is known as one of the most uncompromising, compelling, and innovative artists working today.
RDV on Tuesday 18 April 2023, at 6pm,
at the Goodman Gallery, 26 Cork Street, London W1S 3ND
Read my first interview with him, from 2019, here:
More here soon:
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Since the start of the war in Ukraine, my faith in progressive ideas has been seriously shattered. And because I've been unwell, first in my mind, then in my body after catching Covid, carrying on writing has both been a blessing and a struggle. If you appreciate any of these pieces, please, feel free to let me know or share.
Thanks again everyone, and keep me posted on your news !
I wish you all the best.
with my very best wishes,
melissa
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