Hadi Rahnaward’s Fraying Rug of Charred and Pristine Matchsticks Crumbles Under Violence

Art

#Afghanistan
#Hadi Rahnaward
#installation
#matches

Hadi Rahnaward’s Fraying Rug of Charred and Pristine Matchsticks Crumbles Under Violence

April 18, 2024

Grace Ebert

Hadi Rahnaward, “Fragile Balance,” installation view of ‘Dislocations’ at Palais de Tokyo. Photo by Quentin Chevrier. All images shared with permission

Stamped with a footprint and burned patches, Hadi Rahnaward’s matchstick rug at Palais de Tokyo frays at the edges. Titled “Fragile Balance,” the meticulously laid installation is part of the exhibition Dislocations curated in partnership Portes ouvertes sur l’art, a nonprofit supporting artists in exile.

Rahnaward works across film, photography, and installation and is interested in the cycles of violence within his native Afghanistan, particularly concerning Taliban rule. Weaving and rugmaking have long traditions with the region’s nomadic tribes, and the practice today continues both in the country and with refugees who fled during the Soviet-Afghan war. In “Fragile Balance,” innumerable matches cram together, and the combination of pristine, red heads and charred tips creates an ornate motif. Remnants of violence appear to erode such a powerful symbol of value and culture, which splinters and piles up like rubble.

Dislocations is on view through June 30, and you can follow Rahnaward on Instagram.

Photo by Quentin Chevrier

Photo courtesy of the artist

Photo by Quentin Chevrier

#Afghanistan
#Hadi Rahnaward
#installation
#matches

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