Farhad Ahrarnia (Iranian, B. 1971)

In Miss Iraq I, Farhad Ahrarnia has intricately embellished the image of an American Beauty queen during her coronation ceremony as it is superimposed on a map of Iraq with embroidered motifs and lines, in a technique typical of the artist's oeuvre. Literally reenacting the Farsi expression "cheshm dookhtan" (translated as "eye sewing") Ahrarnia forces the viewer to look intently the choice of images he has selected to reflect on the complexity of the Middle East and its corresponding political tension.
Ironically decorated with jovial and naive peace signs and hearts, the act of piercing the image repeatedly with a sharp needle implies a sense of violence and adds a layer of suspense. Ahrarnia is thus literally and metaphorically drawing the viewer's attention to the hidden messages embedded within his choice of digitally manipulated image. The ecstatic expression of the beauty queen juxtaposed against the names of cities tragically associated with occupation and destruction highlights the notion of the objectification of desire and possession - a plight that applies to the myth of beauty as well as harsh reality of war.