Inspired by both archival photographs and contemporary news reports, Jananne Al-Ani has created a new body of work that explores enduring representations of the Middle Eastern landscape. Shadow Sites II (2011) and two earlier video works are exhibited alongside a selection of extraordinary original prints by renowned archaeologist Ernst Herzfeld (1879–1948). Separated by nearly a century, these works pose fascinating questions about the impact of photography on views of the Middle East. This exhibition is a highlight of the Sackler Gallery’s 25th anniversary celebration in 2012.
Still of video; Jananne Al-Ani, Shadow Sites II, 2011; single-channel HD video projection, color, with sound, 8:38 min., dimensions variable; Collection SFMOMA, Jointly owned by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (Accessions Committee Fund purchase) and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; © Jananne Al-Ani