The artist Sakar Sleman presented a new solo show and installation in Hamam Kifri, an Ottoman-period Turkish bath in Kifri, Sulaymaniya Province. Sleman creates small objects and installations using organic materials such as coal, earth, wood, cloth and string. In doing so, the artist uses shape, colour, texture and smell to create work that is deeply introspective, drawing on the artist’s personal experiences as well as collective memory. Sleman’s installations are often site-specific, such as her ‘Land Art’ project on the Goyzha and Azmar Mountains above Sulaymaniya in 2014, and the exhibition ‘Two Generations’ in the Amna Suraka Museum. By presenting her work in this derelict 19th century bath, the artist encourages visitors to develop new understandings and experiences of this forgotten space. Earlier this year, Sleman presented her work at the Iraq Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale.
