We die so that
We die so that is an exhibition of video works, paintings and artefacts that will communicate the true nature of living as a minority in Afghanistan through contemporary storytelling and testimonials. These stories are so often silenced, either by the governments who wish to hide the true scale of conflict or through lack of avenues to communicate with the outside world.
While in Afghanistan during 2016 to document the daily life and struggles of minorities, Elyas Alavi was caught up in the deadliest bombing in Kabul since 2001; a twin attack of a street protest that killed 110 protesters. Participating in the protest himself, Elyas recorded the day, including the hunt for a protester from his own town.
Elyas Alavi is a contemporary artist whose work focuses on identity, memory, violence, trauma and displacement. He has risked his own safety to get these stories to Australian audiences and this new body of work will be a significant step in his creative and professional growth. Few artists in South Australia are creating contemporary visual arts and new media works that communicate the stories of those living in war zones through first-hand accounts.
Naan/bread
Naan/bread, 2016–17, LED light, bread, acrylic on wall, video, 4:45 min. Photo: Grant Hancock
This work, Naan/Bread (2017), features footage taken between July 2016 and July 2017, the majority of which has been shot in Afghanistan where I was born, as well as Iran where I lived in exile for 15 years, and also Australia, my new home, and during visits to Kurdistan and the Arab Emirates. As I move from city to city, I documented myself and local people holding a piece of a local bread in front of the face. This gesture refers to the importance of Naan/bread as food, a staple of many cultures that takes many different forms around the world, sustenance for us all. In my mind, the main reason of all battles and wars is always over a piece of naan/bread. While for some people, their type of bread may be dry and cheap, saving them from hunger but for others, their type of bread, their sustenance, has been dipped in other’s blood. It also refers to the term “breadwinner” and in a country in war like Afghanistan where I come from, when the breadwinner of the family dies or is killed, the structure of the whole family will collapse and for many it never recovers. There are many breads. But we all need sustenance. In this, we are all the same.
Naan/Bread (detail)
Naan/Bread, 2016–17, still image, video
Mohammad Jaan
Mohammad Jaan, 2016, T-shirt, video, 5:45 min, Photo: Grant Hancock
We Die So That
Elyas Alavi, We Die So That, 2016–17, still image, video, 16 min.