PROFILE Images - Courtesy of AFP/Khaled Akil. Writer - Rosemary Irons.
Khaled Akil: Pokemon Go in Syria - Part I Augmented reality reimagined on the war-torn streets of Aleppo When photographer Khaled Akil’s latest
“In my usual artistic practice, I prefer to give time
“Much of my previous work deals with controversial
project Pokemon Go in Syria caught the attention
to my work, technique-wise. It’s a process that I
problems within our Middle Eastern society, and such
of Al Jazeera News, the public looked up from
enjoy. I’m not saying that my Pokemon series
topics can be difficult to swallow for some people.
their smart phones and paid attention. The images
isn’t as meaningful as my fine art-photography. It
But I think that’s the duty of art: to open doors to
are without a doubt compelling: The curious
could be that Pokemon Go in Syria is profoundly
these types of discussions. People will view my work,
juxtaposition of Pikachu sitting forlorn in the
important. Not necessarily now, but for the future.
and while they might not always understand what’s
foreground, a scene of destruction behind him;
Decades from now, this work will be an archive, a
going on, the image should provoke them to ask
a Charizard stands ready for combat alongside a
documentation of what’s happening in this historical
questions, to start a dialogue. Pokemon Go is easier;
band of armed Al-Nusra troops; a Crawdaunt crawls
moment. And right now it’s the augmented reality
it’s for the masses. It doesn’t need any context or
from a broken pipe as young boys play in a murky
trend and the war in Syria flooding our media feeds.
further explanation. And if everyone understands my
pool of sewer water; a Vaporeon escorts a boy
This work is simply a portrait of our time”.
message, then that’s what I want. That’s the end goal.”
A graduate of Law and Political Science from Beirut
When asked about Part 2, Akil states “The fact that
Arab University, Akil’s work has an undeniable
people are talking about my Pokemon series, well
The familiar scenes of devastation in Syria are made
humanitarian focus, which stems from his legal
its motivation, let me say: I’ll continue to produce
all the more unsettling when contrasted with the
pedigree. His lineage includes the likes of Abd
more of this type of work for certain. I labelled
cute and colourful characters of the Pokemon Go
al-Rahman al-Kawakibi, a prominent intellectual
the series Part I simply because it’s a very brief
craze. The digital collage series went viral overnight;
of the late 19th century who published works
statement. I needed to publish it quickly, to get my
it was an eerie and uncomfortable message, and
on Islamic identity and Pan-Arabism openly
message out there. But it’s not enough. There are
one the media couldn’t ignore.
criticising the Ottoman Empire. While Akil’s
so many ideas in my mind… Part II will follow soon.”
wheeling his bike down a residential street in ruins, as if the creature were his chaperone.
father is an established artist in Syria, it is in fact
104 tribe
Reflecting on the acclaim he’s received due to
his late maternal grandfather, a renowned judge
Khaled Akil (b. 1986, Aleppo) is currently living
the Pokemon series, Akil states “Artwise, it’s not
in his time, to whom he attributes his passion
and working in Istanbul while many of his family
difficult to do what I did. The work itself is simply a
for photography. “I owe my whole career to the
members remain in Syria. He has exhibited his work
statement. But then art is not necessarily to create
first Zenit camera I received from him as a gift
internationally, in both solo and group exhibits,
work that is technically sophisticated or something
on my 16th birthday, and to the long hours we
including the Lahd Gallery (London); West Branch
that requires great talent. There are those who
spent exploring the universe of photography
Gallery (Stowe, Vermont); FotoFest (Houston, Texas);
make art in half an hour, while for others it can
and many other fields. Owing to him, I chose to
Art in Exile Festival (Washington, D.C.); Tajallyat
take months, even years. Ultimately it’s the idea
study law, and then also owing to him, I chose
Gallery (Beirut); Mustafa Ali Art Foundation
behind the work that’s important, not the number
not to practice it”. With this, Akil’s photography
(Damascus); Karma Art Gallery (Aleppo); Sarmad
of hours spent in the studio. This series serves as
inevitably developed into a visual commentary on
Gallery (Aleppo); Chalabi Art Gallery (Istanbul); and
a reminder to the world that the war in Syria is still
the contemporary Arab world, addressing many
the collection of the Barjeel Art Foundation (Sharjah).
ongoing, despite the latest popular distraction in
of the complex sociopolitical issues he observed
He hopes to return to his home in Aleppo when
mainstream media.
during his daily life in Aleppo.
the war is over.