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Jeremy Deller – It is what it is- Conversations About Iraq, 2009, New Museum, New York — ¹ Jeremy Deller – *It is what it is- Conversations About Iraq*, 2009, New Museum, New York, photo: Benoit Pailley

The bombing that killed 38 people

In the Imperial War Museum in London, surrounded by some of the most powerful military ¹ hardware of the last 100 years rests a rusting, crumpled car. This is a clear example of what war does.

The car is a piece by Jeremy Deller ² and was a car that was contorted in a street bombing that killed 38 people and wounded many more at Baghdad’s Al-Mutanabbi book market. Al-Mutanabbi book market ³⁴ was at the heart of Baghdad’s cultural and intellectual life.

Jeremy Deller - It Is What It Is- Conversations About Iraq, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 2009. Photography © MCA, Chicago. Photographer, Nathan Keay — ² Jeremy Deller – *It is what it is- Conversations About Iraq*, 2009, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 2009, photo: Nathan Keay

What the car represents

The car serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of war on civilians, the toll it takes on lives, and the destruction and devastation that comes with every act of war. The artist, Deller, won the Turner Prize ⁵ in 2004, is best known for recreating the Battle of Orgreave ⁶⁷ from the miners’ strike.

The visual destruction and devastation on the vehicle are only small and representative compared to the destruction and devastation in people’s lives, especially in war-torn countries. Lives are lost and destroyed, worlds and realities become twisted and mangled, and families become broken.

Deller’s piece is a gateway into the hurt, harm, and brokenness that come with war. The fact that this piece is held at a war museum is also highly significant. In an interview with The Guardian ⁸⁹, Deller called this artwork probably the most irresponsible and foolhardy work I have made to date.

Jeremy Deller - It Is What It Is- Conversations About Iraq, at the Hammer Museum, UCLA, Los Angeles, 2009 — ⁴ Jeremy Deller – *It is what it is- Conversations About Iraq*, 2009, Hammer Museum, UCLA, Los Angeles

Video: BBC Report on Jeremy Deller’s installation at the Imperial War Museum

3 min 35 sec

Video: Jeremy Deller speaks about the artwork, 2010

2 min 8 sec

Conclusion

This piece serves as a discussion piece, arguing different sides and aspects of war. This piece is simply what we need more of. Thought-provoking, raw, emotional, and profound- it takes the audience’s thoughts in different directions as they inspect the twisted metal that was once a fully formed vehicle, maybe like their own. It takes the audience to a place of realism and realization and takes something that is often out of sight and out of mind and places it directly in the guest’s line of sight.

Jeremy Deller - It is what it is- Conversations About Iraq, 2009, at Joy in People at the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Photos- Linda Nylind — ⁶ Jeremy Deller – *It is what it is- Conversations About Iraq*, 2009, at Joy in People at the Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, photo: Linda Nylind

Jeremy Deller – It is what it is- Conversations About Iraq, 2009 — ⁷ Jeremy Deller – *It is what it is- Conversations About Iraq*, 2009

Jeremy Deller – It is what it is- Conversations About Iraq, 2009, Flyer given to members of the public during the destroyed car's tour across the US — ¹¹ Flyer given to members of the public during the destroyed car’s tour across the US

All images by Jeremy Deller unless otherwise noted.

More by Jeremy Deller

Citation

Footnotes

1. https://publicdelivery.org/tag/military/

2. https://publicdelivery.org/tag/jeremy-deller/

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutanabbi_Street

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutanabbi_Street

5. https://publicdelivery.org/tag/turner-prize/

6. https://publicdelivery.org/jeremy-deller-the-battle-of-orgreave/

7. https://publicdelivery.org/jeremy-deller-the-battle-of-orgreave/

8. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/apr/23/jeremy-deller-art-is-magic-stonehenge-murdoch-orgreave-interview

9. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/apr/23/jeremy-deller-art-is-magic-stonehenge-murdoch-orgreave-interview

1. https://publicdelivery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Jeremy-Deller-–-It-is-what-it-is-Conversations-About-Iraq-2009-New-Museum-New-York.jpg ↩

2. https://publicdelivery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Jeremy-Deller-It-Is-What-It-Is-Conversations-About-Iraq-at-the-Museum-of-Contemporary-Art-Chicago-2009.-Photography-©-MCA-Chicago.-Photographer-Nathan-Keay-.jpg ↩

3. https://publicdelivery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Jeremy-Deller-It-Is-What-It-Is-Conversations-About-Iraq-at-World-of-Witte-de-With-Festival-Rotterdam-Netherlands-2007.-Photo-Jonas-Staal.-Courtesy-RobertK.jpg ↩

4. https://publicdelivery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Jeremy-Deller-It-Is-What-It-Is-Conversations-About-Iraq-at-the-Hammer-Museum-UCLA-Los-Angeles-2009.jpg ↩

5. https://publicdelivery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Jeremy-Deller-It-Is-What-It-Is-Conversations-About-Iraq-at-the-Hammer-Museum-UCLA-Los-Angeles-2009-2.jpg ↩

6. https://publicdelivery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Jeremy-Deller-It-is-what-it-is-Conversations-About-Iraq-2009-at-Joy-in-People-at-the-Hayward-Gallery-Southbank-Centre-Photos-Linda-Nylind.jpg ↩

7. https://publicdelivery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Jeremy-Deller-–-It-is-what-it-is-Conversations-About-Iraq-2009-.jpg ↩

8. https://publicdelivery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Jeremy-Deller-–-It-is-what-it-is-Conversations-About-Iraq-2009-1-1.jpg ↩

9. https://publicdelivery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Jeremy-Deller-–-It-is-what-it-is-Conversations-About-Iraq-2009-1-2.jpg ↩

10. https://publicdelivery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Jeremy-Deller-–-It-is-what-it-is-Conversations-About-Iraq-2009.jpg ↩

11. https://publicdelivery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Jeremy-Deller-–-It-is-what-it-is-Conversations-About-Iraq-2009-Flyer-given-to-members-of-the-public-during-the-destroyed-cars-tour-across-the-US-.jpg ↩