Kubra Khademi, "From armour to jackets" and "First but not Last Time in America", press conference of the 9 July 2022

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One can wear a jacket but a jacket can also carry, contain, fill up. In its pockets, hems, and braids, it contains and is contained within a story which, in time of war, can sometimes only be found in this piece of fabric. Survival jacket, flak jacket, life jacket, safety jacket… It becomes a single piece of protection, proclaiming who we are through a handful of sewn letters: Press, Red Cross, Doctor, NGO…
In Afghanistan, there’s a saying that goes: Don’t forget History!

Here, Kubra Khademi will sew, stitch, and tell the story of Afghanistan. Just like the pieces of armour we keep in our museums so as not to forget past wars and to feel the materiality of danger and violence, Kubra Khademi shows us the jackets she’s taken from the wardrobes of contemporary wars to keep their memory and show us their horror. And exhibits them to maybe make us imagine the end of those conflicts.