Cemile Sahin's Wiesbaden Exhibition Probes Drone Technology and Kurdish History
Cemile Sahin, a Kurdish artist, is showcasing her work 'Rifle in the Closet' at Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden until 23 July. This exhibition includes expansive digital wallpaper depicting Lausanne, Switzerland, notable for its connection to 'drone valley' and the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne that partitioned Kurdistan. Originally from Wiesbaden and now residing in Berlin, Sahin integrates found imagery, digital visuals, text, and video in her pieces. A key video juxtaposes Swiss army AI training with drone footage and excerpts from Friedrich Schiller's 'William Tell'. This is Sahin's third investigation of Lausanne, following her presentations at the Lyon Biennale and Esther Schipper in Berlin, as she explores themes of historical power dynamics and modern warfare.
Key facts
- Cemile Sahin's exhibition 'Rifle in the Closet' runs through 23 July at Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden
- Sahin is a Kurdish artist born in Wiesbaden, now based in Berlin
- The exhibition features Lausanne, Switzerland, key for its role in drone development and the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne
- A central video combines AI simulation training for the Swiss army with drone footage and quotes from Friedrich Schiller
- This is Sahin's third exhibition focusing on Lausanne's impact on the Middle East
- Sahin's practice involves deep research, transforming information into aesthetic works addressing power and warfare
- She cites Chris Marker as an influence and uses AI, videogame tech, and colorful, large-scale installations
- Her forthcoming film quartet 'Four Ballads for my Father' draws on Kurdish archives to explore displacement
Entities
Artists
- Cemile Sahin
- Barbara Kruger
- Jenny Holzer
- Harun Farocki
- Chris Marker
- Tomas van Houtryve
- Teju Cole
- Anuk Arudpragasam
- Friedrich Schiller
- Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
- Wilhelm II
- Zubair Rehman
Institutions
- Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden
- Lyon Biennale
- Esther Schipper
- The New York Times
- Swiss army
Locations
- Wiesbaden
- Germany
- Berlin
- Lausanne
- Switzerland
- Zürich
- Middle East
- Kurdistan
- Turkey
- Syria
- Paris
- France
- Istanbul
- Pakistan
- United Kingdom
- Italy
- Japan