The Survivor is a multi-channel video installation based on the testimony of Jackleen, a young Yezidi girl who was held captive by ISIS. Set against the serene and seemingly untouched landscape of Kurdistan in northern Iraq, the installation juxtaposes the calm beauty of the environment with Jackleen’s unsettling account of the atrocities she endured during her captivity. Her demeanor, strikingly composed and measured as she recounts these horrors, contrasts sharply with the gravity of her experiences.

 

In this landscape of wildflowers, which evoke a sense of innocence and the simple beauty of existence, Jackleen’s presence represents a powerful dichotomy: the fragile resilience of childhood amidst the brutal realities of war and oppression. The flowers and the child herself symbolize the (conceivable) lightness and potential for joy that coexist with the weight of trauma and violence.

 

At the heart of the installation is a sandplay tray—a therapeutic practice where Jackleen uses miniature figures in a sandbox to express her experiences beyond words. This central sandtray, surrounded by figures, serves as a space for healing and storytelling, symbolizing her journey through trauma.

The Survivor blends nature’s beauty with the harsh reality of trauma, the multi-channel setup and layered narrative highlight the resilience of the human spirit, especially that of a child, in overcoming profound challenges.

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The work was exhibited as an installation @ Coup De Ville in Sint-Niklaas in September 2020

 

About Coup de Ville: The fourth edition of Coup de Ville in 2020 – ‘Chasing Flowers’ – will be a quest for flowers. For the first time since its launch WARP has given the artists a specific theme. The flower is a unique symbol connecting nature and culture. A question is, how we can – through art – create space where not only economical, but also ecological and social values are at stake.