Skip to main content

Imploded, burned, turned to ash - Tuesday 21 June

This exhibition is now in our archive.

Join us for a special screening of a recorded drawing and sound performance by Issam Kourbaj on Tuesday 21 June as part of Refugee Week.

This free drop-in screening takes place in the Seminar Room at the Fitzwilliam Museum all day on Tuesday 21 June. No prior booking required.

Screenings of the performance are taking place in multiple locations world-wide during Refugee Week (20 - 26 June), to reflect the situation of many Syrians forced to leave their homes and erased cities, who are now scattered across the world. UK-based locations also include both altars of St James’s Church, Piccadilly, London, and Great St Mary's Church in Cambridge. The ash produced during the original performance will also be installed in a glass jar next to the screen at selected locations.

This performance by the Syrian-born and Cambridge-based artist Issam Kourbaj was created to mark the tenth anniversary of the Syrian uprising and performed and live-streamed on the 15 March 2021 – the date of the first day of unrest a decade ago. It was in collaboration with the composer Richard Causton and the soprano Jessica Summers and with Kettle’s Yard, The Heong Gallery, and the Fitzwilliam Museum. It also coincided with the artist’s display of 366 eye idols created from Aleppo soap at the Fitzwilliam in 2021.

Similar exhibitions from our archives

Sign up to our emails

Be the first to hear about our news, exhibitions, events and more…

Sign up