Issam Kourbaj's 'Urgent Archive' at Kettle's Yard: A Living Study in Repair
The exhibition 'Urgent Archive' by Issam Kourbaj is on display at Kettle's Yard in Cambridge until 26 May 2024. It features dynamic installations across two galleries and an archive area, highlighting objects from Kourbaj's 13-year artistic journey that began with the Syrian uprising on 15 March 2011. Notable pieces include a calendar titled 'Another Day Lost', a tent adorned with 4,750 stitched dates, and trays filled with wheat seeds representing future possibilities. The work 'All But Milk' (2023–24) juxtaposes baby bottles containing violent materials with grids by Damien Hirst. Reflecting his immigration journey, Kourbaj incorporates the phrase 'Leave to Remain' in more than 15 works. Performances commemorating the uprising's anniversary will feature his son, Mourad.
Key facts
- Issam Kourbaj's 'Urgent Archive' at Kettle's Yard, Cambridge, runs until 26 May 2024.
- The exhibition is a living archive that the artist changes daily.
- It includes over 4,750 dried fruits marking days since the Syrian uprising on 15 March 2011.
- Wheat seeds are planted outside the gallery, at Kew Gardens, and Cambridge University Botanic Garden.
- The work 'All But Milk' (2023–24) contains baby bottles filled with violent materials.
- The phrase 'Leave to Remain' appears in over 15 works, referencing Kourbaj's immigration status.
- Kourbaj's uncle Suleyman converted unexploded French bombs into spoons.
- The archive includes two interlocked analogue cameras referencing Brâncuși's 'The Kiss'.
Entities
Artists
- Issam Kourbaj
- Candelaria Capurro Ferrer
- Mourad Kourbaj
- Mahmoud Darwish
- Constantin Brâncuși
- Damien Hirst
- Giorgio Morandi
Institutions
- Kettle's Yard
- Kew Gardens
- Cambridge University Botanic Garden
- Wimbledon School of Art
- Glasgow School of Art
Locations
- Cambridge
- United Kingdom
- Sweida
- Syria
- Damascus
- St Petersburg
- Russia
- Gaza
- Palestine