Michael Rakowitz The Balloon is Going Up - The War Has Begun A drawing of a hot air balloon being fired at by a group of soldiers. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz The Balloon is Going Up - The War Has Begun 2009 A drawing of a battle scene with a hot air balloon.There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz The Balloon is Going Up - The War Has Begun 2009 A drawing of a man photographing a city from a hot air balloon. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Boy Rocket Scientist 2009 A drawing of boy standing beside an image of a rocket flying to the moon. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Boy Rocket Scientist 2009 A drawing of two stamps with missiles firing out of them. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Boy Rocket Scientist 2009 A drawing of a boy dressed as a super hero being fired out of a cannon. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Man on the Moon, Part I 2009 Portraits of four men with caption text underneath.
Michael Rakowitz Man on the Moon, Part I 2009 Portrait of a man in military uniform with the moon behind him. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Man on the Moon, Part II 2009 The silhouette of a statue being pulled down in front of a huge moon. There is a caption text below the image.
Michael Rakowitz More Machine than Man, Twisted and Evil 2009 A drawing of soldiers surrounding a house. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz More Machine than Man, Twisted and Evil 2009 A drawing of a cinema audience with a projection of Darth Vader (a dark masked figure) from the Star Wars saga. Wth a caption text.
Michael Rakowitz More Machine than Man, Twisted and Evil 2009 A drawing of a cinema audience with Saddam Hussein and his son. Caption text below the image.
Michael Rakowitz The Lord, The Homeland, The Leader 2009 Drawing of two men in an interior. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz The Lord, The Homeland, The Leader 2009 A drawing of a uniform with helmet. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz The Lord, The Homeland, The Leader 2009 Drawing of weapons being waved in the air. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz The Lord, The Homeland, The Leader 2009 Drawing of an army led by a man (Saddam Hussein) on horseback marching underneath a monument of crossed swords. Text underneath drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Sgt. Slaughter 2009 Drawing of a soldier standing by a ruined monument of a hand holding a sword surrounded by discarded helmets. Text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Sgt. Slaughter 2009 Drawing of a soldier standing in front of a monument of crossed swords. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Sgt. Slaughter 2009 Drawing of men standing in front of logos. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Triangle of Terror 2009 Drawing of three men in military uniforms. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Triangle of Terror 2009 Drawing of a bare chested man in Arab dress pointing upwards. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Triangle of Terror 2009 a drawing of three men in different outfits: two in Arab dress and one dressed as a native American. Text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Adnan Alkaissy Obey 2009 Drawing of two men sitting at a desk in front of a microphone. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Adnan Alkaissy Obey 2009 Drawing of two men wrestling watched by a crowd. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz King Dragon 2009 Drawing of a soldier looking at a painting. Text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Jonathan Earl Bowser 2009 a drawing of a man holding a book with a painting behind. There is a caption text underneath the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Coming Soon - The Moon, The Stars and The Sun 2009 Drawing of a man being fired from a gun holding crossed swords. Bold poster-style headings appear next to him.
Michael Rakowitz Project Babylon 2009 a large artillery weapon with logo behind. There is a caption text below the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Project Babylon 2009. A drawing of a large gun installed on a hillside. There is a caption text below the drawing.
Michael Rakowitz Project Babylon 2009 The interior of a factory with the barrel of a large gun and a heritage plaque for a steelworks. There is a caption text below the image..
Michael Rakowitz The Man with the Golden Gun 2009 A man holding a gun with caption text below the image.
Michael Rakowitz Around the Moon 2009 A man in front of a missile launcher firing a missile at the moon. There is a caption text below the image.
Michael Rakowitz Around the Moon 2009 A gun with silencer aimed at the head of a man.There is a caption text below the image.
Michael Rakowitz Around the Moon 2009 A policeman stands beside a piece of machinery. There is a caption text below the image.
Michael Rakowitz works as a cultural archaeologist, uncovering an unexpected network of connections between historical fact and fantasy. The worst condition is to pass under a sword which is not one's own traces links between western science fiction and military-industrial activities in Iraq during and after Saddam Hussein's regime.
Through a series of interwoven narratives this project addresses, among other things, the Iraqi leader's fascination with the iconography of Jules Verne's novels and the Star Wars films, and the World Wrestling Federation's unique take on Gulf War politics.
The project centres on the Swords of Qādisiyyah monument in central Baghdad. This triumphal arch, otherwise known as the Hands of Victory, was inaugurated on 8 August 1989. The invitation card for the opening ceremony featured the heroic proclamation, 'The worst condition is for a person to pass under a sword that is not his own or to be forced down a road that is not willed by him.' Rakowitz explores the multiple references and resonances of the Victory Arch, from the history of its design to its use as a backdrop for military posturing.
In this and other aspects of the project the artist explores how powerful contemporary mythologies derived from popular culture have informed the collective unconscious. Fictional characters from Darth Vader to Sgt. Slaughter coexist with historical figures in Rakowitz's symbolic universe, in which warrior fantasies transcend the alleged divide between east and west.
Michael Rakowitz talks about recent projects including The worst condition is to pass under a sword which is not one's own in his Artist's Talk on Friday 22 January.
Michael Rakowitz was born in Great Neck, New York, in 1973. He lives and works in Chicago.
The worst condition is to pass under a sword which is not one's own is curated by Ann Coxon and Rachel Taylor.
The Level 2 Gallery is conceived and led by Tate Modern's Assistant Curators, in dialogue with Mark Godfrey, Curator.