Return to Kurdistan, Erbil citadel

Richard Wilding

Erbil Citadel Cultural Centre, Iraqi Kurdistan, 9th – 13th May 2016

Illustrated lecture, 10th May 2016

 “The challenges now facing this region make it more important than ever to celebrate and promote the rich culture and history of Kurdistan, its natural beauty, the diversity, resilience and warmth of its people.”

Return to Kurdistan was exhibited in a recently restored Ottoman-era building within the 6,000 year-old Erbil citadel. The exhibition showed contemporary colour photography of Kurdistan by Richard Wilding accompanied by black and white photographs taken in the 1940’s by Anthony Kersting.

The exhibition was hosted by Gulan in partnership with the High Commission for Erbil Citadel Revitalization (HCECR).

Richard gave an illustrated lecture exploring the region’s ancient civilisation, documenting its religious and ethnic diversity, history of persecution and renewal, and the current refugee crisis. He focused in particular on his photographic documentation of the historic Erbil citadel alongside Anthony Kersting’s photographs of the citadel from the 1940s.