Of what is, that it is; of what is not, that it is not 1

This large format photograph represents a crowd of Afghans and Westerners standing before the ruins of Darul Aman Palace in Kabul. The strange heterogeneity of their composition resides in the postproduction addition of the group of Westerners to the original landscape and to a juxtaposition of symbolic and historical references.

The artistic practice of Goshka Macuga develops from historical and scientific documents, that she associates with her own works and those of other artists. Of what is, that it is; of what is not, that it is not 1 and 2 is a tapestry created within the framework of dOCUMENTA (13), whose two parts are designed to be exhibited simultaneously in two separate places, i.e. Kassel and Kabul, respectively.

Through a curator’s approach, Of what is, that it is; of what is not, that it is not 1 by Goshka Macuga questions Western cultural hegemony. This tapestry is part of the Pinault Collection and was first shown at the 2016 “Accrochage” (“Hanging”) exhibition at the Punta della Dogana.