Output details

Shadow Sites I

Shadow Sites I is part of the research project 'The Aesthetics of Disappearance: A Land Without People', which explores the disappearance of the body in the contested and highly charged landscapes of the Middle East by examining the evidence of atrocity and genocide in the often beautiful landscapes into which the bodies of victims disappear.

The starting point was Al-Ani’s discovery of the work of forensic anthropologist Margaret Cox who uncovered mass graves in Kosovo by following a blue butterfly that feeds exclusively on Artemisia Vulgaris, a wild flower that grows in abundance on recently disturbed ground. Al-Ani then undertook extensive research on the disappearance of civilians in 20th century conflicts, and substantive investigation in visual archives of military and archaeological aerial photography, digital technology and satellite imagery.

Al-Ani made site visits (2008 & 2009) to a range of historic and contemporary locations in the Middle East. In 2010 she travelled to Jordan with a crew of five and hired an aerial film specialist and a light aircraft. Shot on 16mm film, 'Shadow Sites I' consists of a series of vertical shots. Replicating the point-of-view of fighter planes or drones, it scans sites ranging from bronze age copper mines to Nabataean ruins, Roman forts and WWI trenches dug to defend the Hejaz railway line. The audio track is composed of ambient sounds collected by the artist on location.

Shadow Sites I was developed and produced during an AHRC Fellowship in the Creative and Performing Arts (2007-10). Production was supported by the Young Arab Theatre Fund and an Arts Council England Award. The film has been reviewed, screened and exhibited widely, including the Sydney (2012) and Sharjah (2013) biennials, and has been acquired by Arts Council England collection and Mori Art Museum, Tokyo. Invited Keynotes: UCL, London (2010); SALT, Istanbul (2012).