Hiwa K’s Geopolitics From Below
Do You Remember What Are You Burning? (2011) (by author) The first Irish exhibition by Kurdish artist Hiwa K takes its title from one of the works on display. Titled ‘Do you remember what are you burning?’ (2011), this work shows a group of people busy with burning the words of books they hold in their hands using a magnifying glass. The fierce sunrays of Sulaymaniyah, in Iraqi Kurdistan, burn and ‘smoke away’ the ink. The act of burning words is a powerful metaphor to explain a concept that political scientists have variably called façade or backsliding democracy, with the most radical ones explaining that neoliberal governance is indeed a potent vehicle through which democracy is weakened to the benefit of the few. In a recorded conversation with the curator, Hiwa K explains that in the past authoritarian leaders used to burn books, but today, they do not need to engage in such a symbolic act to defeat democracy. It suffices to burn the content of books, the printed words, to prevent