Al-Mutanabbi Street
Beata Wehr, USA

     

Al-Mutanabbi Street; Beata Wehr, Tucson, AZ, USA, 2012 'Al-Mutanabbi Street' was created in response to the tragic bombing in Baghdad. The street that was a heart of literary and intellectual community was destroyed in 2007 and many people were killed or injured. The pages contain carpets covered with the pattern of words in different languages and alphabets - all of the mean 'a book'. It is a story of Al-Mutanabbi Street - from a flourishing place full of books through the attack to rebirth. It can be read from left to right and from right to left depending on the cultural origin of the reader. My book is a tribute to the people killed or injured there. It is also a statement of my belief in importance of books that despite disasters continue to accompany us through our lives. 10.5x16.5x0.5 cm, artist's book, single signature pamphlet, archival inkjet print, colour pencils, black ink, total of 12 variables Beata Wehr is a visual artist and educator. She was born in Warsaw, Poland, and currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, traveling back to Europe every year. She graduated from the Warsaw University in Poland with an M.A. degree in art history in 1982 and from the University of Arizona with an M.F.A. in painting/combined media in 1999. She paints and creates artist's books, examining in her work the ideas of home, place, time, transience and multicultural experiences. Her works were shown in international and national exhibitions and are included in 50 public collections in the USA and abroad. beatawehr@gmail.com www.beatawehr.com