ARCO Lisboa 2024
Opening Section
Booth: OP17
RAVNIKAR
www.ravnikar.org
www.ravnikargallery.space
Helena Tahir
The Last Sector
Over the past decade, Helena Tahir's practice has revolved around a personal exploration of drawing, employing a range of techniques that have evolved from traditional to unconventional. Her fascination lies in the intermediate spaces within technical methods; this time, it has manifested through the use of carbon tracing paper. As an intersection of drawing and printmaking, she chose this technique to trace her father's long-concealed past, while reflecting on her first and recent visit to his homeland, Iraq—a place he left due to a repressive regime, unable to return to this day.
The Last Sector (ريخألا†عاطقل) serves as an extraordinary visual archive, rooted in drawing, capturing Helena Tahir's reflections on the complex interplay of politics, history, and her personal family narrative. In 2023, Tahir embarked on a journey to Baghdad, Iraq's capital, retracing the footsteps of her father who hailed from the city's most marginalized neighborhoods, untouched by Western influence. While exploring her heritage, she stumbled upon a family album, offering profound insights that would shape her artistic endeavors, including drawings and prints inspired by her voyage.
Despite the inherent political undertones, The Last Sector remains a deeply personal endeavor for Tahir. It stands as a homage to her father, a political activist who, due to his convictions, never returned to his homeland, prioritizing the safety of his family left behind in Iraq.
Central to the project is Tahir's exploration of multiculturalism and Iraqi heritage. It commences with intimate conversations with her Iraqi relatives, reigniting connections forged over recent years. These dialogues illuminate the forces propelling emigration and the unique diasporic experience. Tahir's artistic process transcends binary oppositions—between here and there, belonging and estrangement, past and present. Within these narratives, she navigates the complexities of translation and transmission, unearthing a profound yearning deeply ingrained within her—a yearning both elusive and unattainable.
Moreover, The Last Sector offers Tahir an opportunity to delve into her intrinsic connection with a world that, while seemingly distant, has always been a part of her identity—a connection that extends beyond the confines of a Western-centric perspective.
Facing South, 2024
Carbon tracing drawing on Paper
100 x 70 cm
Annazah, 2024
Carbon tracing drawing on Paper
120 x 200 cm, tryptich
Enki, 2024
Carbon tracing drawing on Paper
70 x 100 cm
At the Marshes, 2024
Carbon tracing drawing on Paper
100 x 70 cm
Roaming Through The Marshes, 2024
Carbon tracing drawing on Paper
70 x 100 cm
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