Tigris River
Glass aquarium, water, old books with painted pages, remnants of a looted and burned library.
When the Mongol leader Hulagu invaded Baghdad in 1258, he set its great library ablaze, throwing the charred books into the Tigris River. The ink dissolved into the water, turning it a deep blue that lingered for forty days—a haunting testament to the destruction of knowledge.
History repeats itself. The era has changed, but the place remains the same, bearing witness to the relentless atrocities committed by humankind.
This installation stands as a memorial to our lost literary heritage. Within it, 40 liters of water, carefully sourced from the Tigris itself, serve as a symbolic link to that devastating past.
