Iraqi Kurdish artist Hiwa K’s film is a journey of self-discovery, or rather a rediscovery of himself. Equipped with a strange object, a pole with attached mirrors balanced on his nose, he re-traces the journey he took when he was forced to flee his country: from Turkey to Greece to Rome. The limited view of the ground provided by the device forces him to proceed slowly and uncertainly through deserted streets and cities, fields, bridges, and mountains. While his voice-over describes his migration, the mirrors allow him, despite precarious balance, to find the way: “To remember,” he says, “you need other archaeological tools.” The film was made for documenta 14, where it was shown at the Conservatory of Athens.


Hiwa K 
Born in Kurdistan, 1975, he studied European literature and philosophy. After moving to Germany in 2002, he studied guitar with Flamenco master Paco Pena, a discipline he still practices professionally. Hiwa K has exhibited at the Paris Triennale and the Serpentine’s Edgeware Road Project in London. His Chicago Boys project is often hosted by international institutions. He participated in Manifesta 7 and at the Venice Biennale in 2015. In 2017 he participated in documenta 14.