Since 2021, the Taliban have banned all forms of art in Afghanistan, posing a threat to the history and heritage of the country. A major example is the destruction of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in 2001.

 

This project aims to foster cross-cultural discussions and knowledge exchange through art and craftsmanship in Afghanistan and reclaim Afghan cultural heritage.

           

A site intervention with the design of pathways inside the Bamiyan Cliffs proposes a way to facilitate future archaeological missions and safeguard Afghan history, partaining to the legacy of knowledge exchange along the Silk Road,

 and Afghan historian Ahmad Ali Kohzad's dedication to write a collective Afghan history.​

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Meanwhile, an embroidered bag with stitched maps made in collaboration with a female Afghan refugee communicates the site's location and narratives of Afghan women, artists, and the Afghan diaspora. Alongside a sculpture of the Bamiyan Cliffs, they act as both memorials for the Bamiyan Cliffs and counter-spaces to the Taliban’s oppression. They create opportunities for remote engagement with Afghan cultural heritage, resisting Taliban efforts to suppress Afghan history and culture and giving a space for minorities such as women, artists, and ethnic minorities to exist.

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This project was made possible with the contribution of Zuhal Noori, Minoru Inaba, Shumpei Iwai, Shamim Homayun, Iconem and the work of Pasco Corporation Japan, Mayu Iwade, Shigeru Kubodera and Kyoto University Scientific Mission to Afghanistan.