Voodoo - Untitled Anonymous Monument

Voodoo—Untitled Anonymous Monument presents the reverse of a monumental illuminated figure. Its public face is withheld; exposed fluorescent tubes, cables, metal rails, and damaged backing become the image.

Made in 2011 as uprisings spread across the Arab region, the installation examines the power invested in a dictator’s likeness. The title invokes the logic of the effigy: an action performed upon a representation is imagined to reach the body it stands for. Yet the ruler remains unnamed and unseen. By removing the sovereign likeness while exposing its vulnerable infrastructure, Barakeh redirects the monument towards those who risked prosecution to tear such images down.
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