When shattered lives are reduced to numbers on paper, it’s hard to grasp the scale of human misery in war zones, and the resultant need to flee with family. It’s all too easy to demonise those we cannot see.
But put a face to these lives, to the shattered places they leave behind, listen to their stories and it’s much harder to turn a blind eye. Particularly if those faces belong to adorable kids just trying to make the most of what little they have.
That’s what’s so powerful about Bow Echo, the new video installation from interdisciplinary artist Aziz Hazara. His searing work is presented at the MCA. It explores the relationship between young people and the sites of trauma that have become their playground,.
Hazara is based between Kabul, in his home country of Afghanistan, and the much more peaceful Ghent, Belgium. Having recently completed residencies at the Embassy of Foreign Artists in Geneva (2018) and at the KHOJ International Artists’ Association in New Delhi (2017) he's a thrilling artist to keep an eye on.
