In Our Own Words: Soldiers’ thoughts from Afghanistan, Imperial War Museum North
Price from:
Free
Opening Times:
01/10/2011 - 24/06/2012
Category:
Exhibitions
,
Museums
.
In Our Own Words: Soldiers’ thoughts from Afghanistan
Marking the tenth anniversary of the start of the war in Afghanistan, Imperial War Museum North is presenting the thoughts of soldiers from the front line.
The intimate, powerful display, never before seen by the public, provides unique insight into individual experiences on the front line of a contemporary conflict. From the remarkable to the mundane, the extraordinary to the everyday, soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade recorded their honest and personal thoughts while on tour in Afghanistan this year.
The display has been created by the artist Derek Eland, a former paratrooper turned artist. It is the latest in the Museum’s Reactions series – where artists are invited to display work showing how war shapes lives.
The comments written on the cards are raw, honest and varied. The reality of everyday life for troops sits alongside emotional accounts written in the immediate aftermath of battle. Covered with sand and weather stains, some comments were even written on sections of ration boxes or held together with tape. Virtually every soldier in the three company battlegroups gave their story of the conflict.
The project has helped to provide a strong outlet for these troops to share their experiences with the British public and with each other. The public now have a unique opportunity to respond by leaving their own thoughts on the wall of the display.