Gates

This piece is a large-scale recreation of the famous gateway in the Kurdish city of Hewlêr. The piece explores my relationship to my Kurdish heritage, the site of the citadel, and the history of the Kurds, examining themes of archiving, restoration, and place. In 2024, after 15 years away, I returned to Iraqi Kurdistan with the intention of 3D scanning the gateway for this project. Unfortunately, security personnel blocked my efforts. The citadel was closed for restoration, and despite waiting for 32 days, it did not reopen. Interestingly, while I was denied access, white-European tourists were allowed in. This exclusion, based on my appearance as a local, is a critical aspect I intend to explore in this work, alongside the broader questions of heritage and memory.