exhibition

Foam 3h: Alexandra Rose Howland Leave and Let Us Go

From September 2021, Foam 3h presents the exhibition Leave and Let Us Go by Alexandra Rose Howland. With her series, Howland presents an intimate portrait of Iraq, a country that is often misunderstood and misrepresented.


Through the archive of pictures which consists of roughly 300.000 images and videos, we are given a candid look into the daily life of Iraqi people as seen through their eyes. From selfies to photos of loved ones to Snapchat videos on the frontline, this work presents us with the conflicting realities that exist within the country. With this project, Alexandra Rose Howland goes beyond the often one-dimensional narrative of the media and adds another perspective, that of the Iraqi people.

Mosul University, 2020, Leave and Let Us Go © Alexandra Rose Howland, courtesy of the artist.
Mosul University, from the series Leave and Let Us Go, 2020Alexandra Rose Howland, courtesy of the artist.
Maryam, 2020, Leave and Let Us Go © Alexandra Rose Howland, courtesy of the artist.
Maryam, from the series Leave and Let Us Go, 2020Alexandra Rose Howland, courtesy of the artist.
Prisoners, 2020, Leave and Let Us Go © Alexandra Rose Howland, courtesy of the artist.
Prisoners, from the series Leave and Let Us Go, 2020Alexandra Rose Howland, courtesy of the artist.
Fatima, 2020, Leave and Let Us Go © Alexandra Rose Howland, courtesy of the artist.
Fatima, from the series Leave and Let Us Go, 2020Alexandra Rose Howland, courtesy of the artist.

about the exhibition

Through the archive of pictures which consists of roughly 300.000 images and videos, we are given a candid look into the daily life of Iraqi people as seen through their eyes. From selfies to photos of loved ones to Snapchat videos on the frontline, this work presents us with the conflicting realities that exist within the country. With this project, Alexandra Rose Howland goes beyond the often one-dimensional narrative of the media and adds another perspective, that of the Iraqi people.

watch the video

Mosul University, 2020, Leave and Let Us Go
5.55

Watch the video interview in which Howland talks about her experiences in Iraq and what she hopes to achieve with the project.

listen to the podcast Digital Layers of War

Twenty years ago 9/11 took place, leading the United States to announce its 'War on Terror' and involving Iraq in an ongoing conflict. This war was deemed as the first 'smartphone war' due to the introduction of the smartphone as an object of mass consumption in 2007. In this podcast, curator Mirjam Kooiman engages in a conversation with artists Alexandra Rose Howland and Wafaa Bilal. 

This exhibition in Foam 3h is sponsored by the Van Bijleveltstichting, the Leeuwensteinstichting and Kleurgamma Fine Art Photolab.

Foam is supported by the VriendenLoterij, Foam Members, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, the VandenEnde Foundation and the City of Amsterdam.

In 2021 Foam receives additional support from the Mondriaan Fund and Kickstart Cultuurfonds.


Fatima, 2020, Leave and Let Us Go © Alexandra Rose Howland, courtesy of the artist.

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Foam 3h: Alexandra Rose Howland Leave and Let Us Go