Among the exhibitions commemorating the 10th anniversary of the war in Iraq , Franco Pagetti offers a vision of the country’s recent history that unfolds over the course of several years.
Pagetti arrived in Baghdad shortly before the war broke out. His movements were limited by the regime, but that was before the horror and violence that would kill more civilians than soldiers (like all modern wars) and that would force him to cover the rest of the war under the protection of the U.S. military.
He traveled back to the country several times until 2008, capturing the long-term effects of an unfinished operation, documenting the American intervention in the civil war, the militias, the citizens living in constant fear, the slow economic recovery, and the tensions between the Sunnis and Shiites.
The selection begins with a photograph from 2003 of the capital blazing blood orange against the night sky. This image, which looks like it was taken with an optical filter used by the military, gives the key to his photojournalist’s approach: he never tried to sensationalize the situation in Iraq, but neither did he try to soften it.
Laurence Cornet
Read the full article on the French version of Le Journal.
Franco Pagetti : Flashback, Iraq
This exhibition is curated by Alice Gabriner and James Wellford
From March 19th to April 12th, 2013
VII Gallery
28, Jay Street
Brooklyn, NY
USA
