BROOMBERG & CHANARIN - Chicago

Background information

"'Chicago' is a fake Arab town built by the Israeli Defense Force for urban combat training. It is a place that is familiar to Israeli and American soldiers, but until now largely unknown outside Israel. Chicago stands in the middle of the Negev desert, a ghost town whose history directly mirrors the story of the conflict with Palestine. During the first Gulf War, American Special Forces had their first taste of the Middle East here. "Rehearsals" included a failed attempt to assassinate Saddam Hussein, the Battle of Fallujah and, most recently, the evacuation of the Gaza settlements." (© Steidl Verlag, 2007)
"Adam BROOMBERG & Oliver CHANARIN are two of the most controversial artists working today, and for good reason: because their work is so damn good. This is a prime example of their ability to expand an idea into a framework that elucidates the subject of the work and the political environment from which it sprung in such a profound and mind-expanding way. 

Content

The out-of-print photo volume 'Chicago' in one sense is reminiscent of 'Los Alamos' by William EGGLESTON in that both titles are intentionally misleading. Here we are given images of practice combat sites near the city Chicago, built for running simulations that would later be used as guides for combat in the Middle East. Every page becomes an electrifying struggle between our expectations as to the locations we see and the intentions which brought these places into existence." (© James M. Bosaw)

About the British photographer duo, Adam BROOMBERG & Oliver CHANARIN (both b. 1970)

Photo books by Adam BROOMBERG & Oliver CHANARIN