Shafaq News-Khanaqin
On the banks ofthe Alwand River, within sight of the city's historic bridge, young artistsgathered for an exhibition tracing Khanaqin's history, landscape, andfading memory.
The exhibition,titled "The History of the City Inside a Painting," was organized bythe Youth Activity Center of Kurdistan Save the Children (KSC) in Khanaqin ofDiyala Province with the participation of young people and students from theInstitute of Fine Arts.
For Khanaqin,the river sits at the heart of the city's identity and history, and featuresacross the exhibited works alongside the historic bridge and landmarks of theold city. The paintings also evoked places that no longer exist, includingorchards that have disappeared or been consumed by fires in recent years -avisual record of loss alongside celebration.
Organizers toldShafaq News the event was designed to encourage young people to express theircity's collective memory through art, and to reconnect newer generations withKhanaqin's cultural and environmental heritage. Male and female participantsalike presented works that brought together memory and place, redrawing thecity through color and recollection.