assembly of rifle butts, machine gun magazines, shell casings, a hammer, and other weaponry and utilitarian objects crating abstracted face; two shell casings within metal O-rings create eyes; offset cylinder mouth

%C2%A9 Goncalo Mabunda

Untitled (mask), 2017

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On View in Gallery 369expand_more

Mia prohibits visitors from bringing guns and other weapons into the museum, but the weapons in this artwork are not lethal. Mozambican artist Gonçalo Mabunda takes the Biblical injunction “They shall hammer their swords into ploughshares” quite literally. He makes his art with parts of decommissioned and deactivated military equipment left behind in his country, which suffered through a civil war from 1977 to 1992. His "Mask" is built around gun butts, rifle chargers, and a hammer, with the eyes made from empty bullet casings. The weapons carry strong political connotations, and the end product invites viewers to reflect on the transformative power of art.

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Details
Title
Untitled (mask)
Artist Life
born 1975
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2018.4
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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assembly of rifle butts, machine gun magazines, shell casings, a hammer, and other weaponry and utilitarian objects crating abstracted face; two shell casings within metal O-rings create eyes; offset cylinder mouth

© Goncalo Mabunda

Because of © restrictions, we can only show you a small image of this artwork. (You'll have to come see it in person.)