Painting workhop Art class Italy

The Ishtar Gate in Berlin

The Ishtar Gate in Berlin

Yesterday on the news, I refused to watch the whole video of ISIS members ransacking and sledgehammering priceless Mesopotamian artifacts in Mosul.   It was simply too much. A few days ago, more than 100,000 books and manuscripts were burnt, extinguishing in a single blow, centuries of culture. “The birthplace of human civilisation … is being destroyed”, said Kino Gabriel, a leader of the Syriac Military Council, a Christian militia.

Last October, facing the Ishtar Gate of Babylon in Berlin’s Pergamon Museum I was stunned by its sheer beauty. I spent one hour admiring the enameled brick rampart from its foundations to crenellation. Not only the Gate was there, but also dozens of feet of the Babylon’s Procession Street leading to it; and further, many rooms of fine exquisite Assyrian sculpture, the finest that I have seen.  It was just incredible! I knew that the Gate was in Berlin, the primary reason we flew there after Studio Italia, our painting workshop in Italy. But the question remained: “How come Berlin managed to have it?” This because in 1898, German archaeologists worked at the site for 20 years, until the outbreak of the First World War. You may refer to this Guardian article for a brief explanation. Let’s not forget that at the time, Iraq was still a country as described in the tales of the Thousand and One Nights.

Was the Gate acquired in “dubious circumstances”? This is one question. In 2002, Iraq appeals to Berlin for the return of the Ishtar gate. Is it a moral obligation to return foreign artifacts to their place of origin? This is another one.

Basing myself on what I saw last night on CNN and Aljazeera, the answer to the last question is simply a resounding “no”. Of course, wealthy countries have much more capacity to protect and restore historical artefacts than their countries of origin if the latter are undergoing war. Moreover, and most important, you need durable peace, people cohesion and at this moment (as it has been for the last 2000 years) there is none. Only when Sunni, Shia, Kurds, and all others will get together, then Iraq will be a strong political and cultural entity. Our moral obligation is to preserve the artefact for future generations, and at this moment, Mesopotamian artifacts remain safer in the hands of cultural institutions in Berlin, Paris, London and New York.

 

1 Comment

  1. lori

    I was just on an art history tour in Berlin asking the same questions. Complicated. The Pergamon was amazing, (it all was, actually.)

     
    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Who are we?

We all make art! It is part of culture. It is deeply rooted in human nature as a way of communicating with others. We all need to tell our stories because it is stories that link us all. We are all one, one creative mind! Though, all unique and equipped with unique ways of expressing ourselves. We live in constant search of that unique liberating voice. At Walk the Arts we aim to facilitate our art makers to explore new territories. Our painting classes and art history trips on three continents are meant to be rounded art experiences among small groups of like-minded adults. We offer an environment that fosters creativity. As we always say, art as religion is just a matter of faith. This blog is about living fully the experience of art, about finding our single artistic path, about the joy of art-making. We believe that making art accessible to all will lead to a betterment of our society.

Archives

Contact Us! North America and Europe

Twitter Updates

“On Painting” by Gilles Deleuze

 

A blank canvas is a space brimming with possibilities—“a painting to be made,” as Cézanne wrote. It is what Deleuze calls the “catastrophe”—nothing can be seen, yet everything is there as if one were trapped in the eye of a storm. And from this catastrophe, one must find a way out: the very first stroke, a scribble, clichés to be destroyed, “forms that fade away”; erasing, starting over; “the hand, freed from the eye, runs wild,” and then—there! “The color rises,” and so on until the final work emerges.

Let Go! The Artist’s Way of Cooking

 

Ten years ago, here in Tuscany, we decided to write a recipe book but with so many good cookbooks in the market, we needed to propose a new idea. We had to find a modus operandi close to who we are and what we do as visual artists. The answer was in front of us and painting gave it to us: art and color!

Travelling with meaning : a painting workshop in Italy

 

More and more travellers from the developed world are looking for meaningful travels. We are aiming for journeys that allow us to learn something new, to deepen our culture, to enhance our lives. Purpose, inspiration and self-discovery are now vital elements in our traveling choices. Probably, this is why our quality painting workshops offered since 1997, have become more and more popular.

Privacy Policy