HUGS
By SIMON MENNER (DE) 2016
The men shown in these photographs are fighters for Islamist groups in Iraq and Syria. Taken from propaganda videos, these stills show scenes where one fighter bids farewell to a suicide attacker. The suicide attacker is going to blow himself up with a vehicle that is filled with explosives.
What looks like an honest expression of passion and love is – from another perspective – an absolutely evil and disgusting gesture. One person hopes that the other might kill as many people as possible, while killing himself. At the same time, even though these images have been taken for propaganda purposes, the feeling of love might, in fact, be genuine.
BIO
Simon studied at the Universität der Künste Berlin and at SAIC in Chicago. He holds an M.F.A. from the Universität der Künste Berlin. He lives and works in Berlin.
Simon has exhibited his photography work internationally and has participated in solo and group shows in the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; NRW Forum, Düsseldorf; C/O Berlin; the Museum for Photography, Berlin; Benaki Museum, Athens, and Bauhaus Museum, Weimar.