9 Scripts from a Nation at War is a ten-part video installation by David Thorne, Katya Sander, Ashley Hunt, Sharon Hayes and Andrea Geyer that responds to the conditions and questions that have arisen during and in response to the military conflicts in Iraq since March 2003.
The work examines the ways in which war determines and 'scripts' certain roles, and the capacity of individuals to fulfil or resist typologies including 'citizen', 'veteran', 'detainee' and 'correspondent'.
Another central theme is the investigation of how language affects identity in times of conflict. A live reading of the transcripts of eighteen Combatant Status Review Tribunals held at the US military prison camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, takes place on Thursday 12 June from 12.30.
9 Scripts from a Nation at War is the last in a series of four related exhibitions in the Level 2 Gallery, Tate Modern’s dedicated space for contemporary and emerging international artists. The series explores ideas of citizenship through themes of economy, belief, the state and the individual. The Level 2 Gallery programme is conceived and led by Tate Modern’s Assistant Curators, in dialogue with Catherine Wood, Curator.
9 Scripts from a Nation at War is curated by Amy Dickson and Rachel Taylor.