Langlands & Bell
In October 2002 artist duo Ben Langlands and Nikki Bell spent two weeks in Afghanistan carrying out research for a commission awarded by the Imperial War Museum, London, entitled The Aftermath of September 11 and the War in Afghanistan.
During their stay in the country Langlands & Bell visited a diverse range of locations including ISAF HQ (International Security Force for Afghanistan)- the NATO derived task force led by the Turks at the time -, the main American air base in Bagram, the site of the giant Buddhas at Bamyan, the Supreme Court in Kabul - to attend the first capital trial since the fall of the Taliban - and, after a long difficult journey, the former home of Osama bin Laden at Daruntah, where he lived for a period in the late 1990s.
In this new collection of nine images Langlands & Bell combine photos taken in Afghanistan with four series of codes identifying organisations and locations in real and virtual space. The artists question whether the "post-war" environment in Afghanistan is really as remote as it is usually portrayed, whilst also reflecting on the matrix of events which continued to unfold since the tragedy of September 11th 2001.
This exhibition coincides with Langland & Bell's Turner Prize nomination currently on show at Tate Britain from October - December 2004.