701 Killed 785 Injured

Description:	Bodies on the ground, these are the images that I have in my mind when I hear people talking about Baghdad. Previously places of life, of exchanges of knowledge and learning, markets, shops, toys, books. Then the explosion and the memory disappears.Images, always images… too many images?In 2005 I had launched a creation on Internet, a tentative artistic attempt to approach a world where in any instant and for a variety of reasons everything can come tumbling down.This book is an adaptation of this creation. I decided to make it by taking the 50 first attempts generated by my database, a sort of inventory of the horror and fear that I felt. In this database, all the capital cities and larger cities are indicated through typographic attention.Naturally this book itself creates a stressful, indeed nightmarish atmosphere, it relates nevertheless only imaginary events… but nevertheless! It really could be any street, anywhere…I also felt obliged to create a physical version of this book, as well as offer it in the electronic format, as I wanted to talk about physical dematerialisation (as a result of the explosion) and to consider the elements of archive and memory.This book is available in a real, tangible version but also as a free, accessible download everywhere (unless the state in which you live decides to block your access to the Internet!). I have produced it under an ‘Art Free’ licence, which means that you can modify it, circulate it, copy it… in an approach that encourages free circulation of ideas… Ideas beyond any frontiers or borders, political, social or economical control… A phantom book perhaps?
Origin:	2011
Created By:	Frespech, Nicolas
Contributor(s):	Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Coalition
Source:	http://iuidigital.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/AMSSH/id/324
Collection:	Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Coalition Collection
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Copyright:	In Copyright
Subjects:	artists book art bookworks

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