The Chosen Arm

Bodies of Violation

Rawan Almukhtar impressively visualizes his in-depth examination of the Austrian-made HS.50 sniper rifle. 800 of these large-caliber machine guns made in Austria are still circulating in the ranks of various militias and terrorist organizations in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon. Almukhtar sheds light on the involvement of Austrian arms companies in war regions such as Iraq. In the project The Chosen Arm, Almukhtar reproduces 800 so-called Combat Prints with the aim of visualizing, naming and materializing violence and its birthplace Austria. Finally, Almukhtar is concerned with a break with the practice of not (wanting to) know and the ethical questions of political responsibility.

Text by: Myassa Kraitt

Installation view Kunsthalle Wien Preis 2024: Rawan Almukhtar, The Chosen Arm, 2021, Kunsthalle Wien
Installation view Kunsthalle Wien Preis 2024: Rawan Almukhtar, The Chosen Arm, 2021, Kunsthalle Wien

Installation view Kunsthalle Wien Preis 2024: Rawan Almukhtar, The Chosen Arm, 2021, Kunsthalle Wien 2025, Courtesy Rawan Almukhtar and Galerie MEYER*KAINER, Vienna, photo: kunst-dokumentation.com

The Chosen Arm

Intaglio, 137 x 216 cm, 2021

Rawan Almukhtar, The Chosen Arm, 2021
Rawan Almukhtar, The Chosen Arm, 2021
Rawan Almukhtar, The Chosen Arm, 2021
Rawan Almukhtar, The Chosen Arm, 2021
Rawan Almukhtar, The Chosen Arm, 2021
Rawan Almukhtar, The Chosen Arm, 2021