Background information
"Violence, calamity and the absurdity of war are recorded extensively within The Archive of Modern Conflict, the largest photographic collection of its kind in the world. For their most recent work, Holy Bible, Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin mined this archive with philosopher Adi Ophir’s central tenet in mind: that God reveals himself predominantly through catastrophe and that power structures within the Bible correlate with those within modern systems of governance.
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Content
The format of Adam BROOMBERG & Oliver CHANARIN’s illustrated 'Holy Bible' mimics both the precise structure and the physical form of the King James Version. By allowing elements of the original text to guide their image selection, the artists explore themes of authorship, and the unspoken criteria used to determine acceptable evidence of conflict.
Inspired in part by the annotations and images Bertolt Brecht added to his own personal bible, Broomberg and Chanarin’s publication questions the clichés at play within the visual representation of conflict." (publisher 's note, © Mack Books, 2013)
Book reviews
"Right from the start, almost every appearance he made was catastrophic… Catastrophe is his means of operation, and his central instrument of governance." (© Adi Ophir) "The book is a visually charged exploration into the relationship of violence and the images used to define it."
"Beyond the much-deserved awards and praise, this duo’s provocative practice is layered with thoughtful and challenging concepts. This, one of their most compelling works, is a surprisingly smart exploration of religion, death and conflict. Holy Bible is a testimony to catastrophe and a superb example of an artists mastery of the medium." (© Tom Claxton)
About British photographer duo Adam BROOMBERG (b.1970) & Oliver CHANARIN (b.1970)
Photo books by Adam BROOMBERG & Oliver CHANARIN
- Format
- 1st ed., 2nd printing! Embossed HC (no dust jacket, as issued), 16 x 22 x 3 cm., 768 pp., 614 color ills., text language: English