The ancient cities of the Sumerian Marshes gave birth to the Mesopotamian Civilization where agriculture first developed and writing was invented around 3500 BC. Over recent decades, the delicate ecosystem of Iraq’s marshlands have been severely threatened through rising temperatures, neglect and conflict, with many inhabitants forced to resettle due to Saddam Hussein’s regime redirecting the river and drying out the marshes.

Water – or more precisely the lack of it – is an existential issue in many parts of Iraq and its neighbouring countries. Ruya Foundation has commissioned two artists to go in search of water, exploring its ancient cultural significance and the impact of rising temperatures on these delicate ecosystems and the communities who live there.

ENCOUNTERS ON THE TIGRIS

An artist’s search for water, myth and ritual along Iraq’s ancient river
By Sherko Abbas

Sherko Abbas will journey along the Tigris river, from Zakho in the north to Al Faw in the south, to investigate the ways different communities relate to the river’s practical and symbolic importance through myth-telling and ritual.

In addition to capturing the soundscapes of each place, Abbas will also gather stories, songs and poetry from the people who inhabit both sides of the river, starting in Dukan Lake near the Iraqi-Kurdish border and ending in the marshlands of southern Iraq near the Persian Gulf. Focussing on fictional stories and myths about water that are orally transmitted from one generation to another, he will capture previously undocumented cultural traditions from across the country. The result will be a series of short films documenting the artist’s Encounters on the Tigris.

IN SEARCH OF THE MARSHES

Diaries from an ecosystem in crisis
By Akeel Khreef

From June 2022 to June 2023, artist Akeel Khreef will undertake monthly excursions across Iraq’s southern marshlands, where his family originates. The dying out of the Marshes highlights the emotional co-dependency of humans and non-humans in this fragile ecosystem. Using his own body as a barometer for climate change, he will focus on three key elements in the ecosystem: cane reeds, fish, and agriculture, to produce “field diaries” combining video footage and photography. 

Commissioned by the Ruya Foundation for Contemporary Culture in Iraq.

RUYA FOUNDATION

The Ruya Foundation is an Iraqi registered non-profit, non-governmental organization founded in 2012 with the aim of aiding and enriching culture in Iraq, and building cultural bridges with the world.

Ruya’s initial goal is to promote culture in Iraq at a time when priorities are focused elsewhere and to build a platform that will enable Iraqis in the arts, the young in particular, to benefit from, and participate in international events. In addition to supporting local projects, its aim is to create a network of intercultural events that can contribute to the development of civil society in Iraq. It is also committed to nurturing a multicultural dialogue through the arts.