It Is What It Is: Conversations About Iraq

Over a six-week period at the New Museum in New York, (February 11 – March 22, 2009) British artist Jeremy Deller has invited journalists, Iraqi refugees, soldiers, and scholars to share their memories of the last decade in and out of Iraq.

In one-on-one conversations with New Museum visitors, their stories will elucidate the present circumstances in Iraq from many points of view. At the end March, “It Is What It Is” will travel across the country from New York to California, with conversations conducted at more than ten public sites along the way. Sergeant Jonathan Harvey, an American veteran of the Iraq War, Esam Pasha, an Iraqi citizen, and Deller will be aboard a specially outfitted RV, along with Nato Thompson, Creative Time curator, who will document the journey. Expanded version of “It Is What It Is” will take place at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, in April and May of 2009, and at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago in October and November 2009.

Over a six-week period at the New Museum in New York, (February 11 – March 22, 2009) British artist Jeremy Deller has invited journalists, Iraqi refugees, soldiers, and scholars to share their memories of the last decade in and out of Iraq. In one-on-one conversations with New Museum visitors, their stories will elucidate the present circumstances in Iraq from many points of view. At the end March, “It Is What It Is” will travel across the country from New York to California, with conversations conducted at more than ten public sites along the way. Sergeant Jonathan Harvey, an American veteran of the Iraq War, Esam Pasha, an Iraqi citizen, and Deller will be aboard a specially outfitted RV, along with Nato Thompson, Creative Time curator, who will document the journey. Expanded version of “It Is What It Is” will take place at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, in April and May of 2009, and at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago in October and November 2009.			Government Humanities Journalism Sciences Visual Arts
			wednesday	thursday	friday	saturday
			11 12PM - 3PM Peter J. Buotte Artist and soldier 3PM - 6PM Nicholas Mirzoeff Professor in the Department of Visual Culture at New York University	12 12PM - 3PM Zainab Saleh PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropology at Columbia University 3PM - 6PM Alaa Majeed Journalist and translator 6PM - 9PM David Enders Journalist	13 12PM - 3PM Nour Al-Khal Former translator to journalist Stephen Vincent 3PM - 6PM Esam Pasha Former translator and artist 6PM - 9PM Zainab Saleh PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropology at Columbia University	14 12PM - 3PM Donny George Youkhanna Former Director of the National Museum in Baghdad,Professor in the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies at State University of New York, Stony Brook 3PM - 6PM Don Gomez Former Army Sergeant and member of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
sunday	monday	tuesday
15 12PM - 3PM Sawsan M. Al-Dawodi Former engineer in Baghdad 3PM - 6PM Esam Pasha Former translator and artist	16	17	18 12PM - 3PM Nour Al-Khal Former translator to journalist Stephen Vincent 3PM - 6PM Khalid Rashid Al-Doori Former architect in Baghdad	19 12PM - 3PM Brian Laguardia Student at New York University and former soldier 3PM - 6PM Carol Basri Lawyer and Filmmaker 6PM - 9PM Iman Saleh Writer and member of Iraqi Independent Women’s Group	20 12PM - 3PM Iman Saleh Writer and member of Iraqi Independent Women’s Group 3PM - 6PM Don Gomez Former Army Sergeant and member of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America 6PM - 9PM Yousif Ahmed Khalaf Former translator for the U.S. Army in Iraq	21 12PM - 3PM Salam Talib Journalist and Computer Engineer 3PM - 6PM Iman Saleh Writer and member of Iraqi Independent Women’s Group
22 12PM - 3PM Ruthie Epstein Lifeline for Iraqi refugees at Human Rights First 3PM - 6PM Iman Saleh Writer and member of Iraqi Independent Women’s Group	23	24	25 12PM - 3PM Esam Pasha Former translator and artist 3PM - 6PM Denis Halliday Former Assistant Secretary-General for the U.N. humanitarian program in Iraq	26 12PM - 3PM Brian Laguardia Student at New York University and former soldier 3PM - 6PM Nour Al-Khal Former translator to journalist Stephen Vincent 6PM - 9PM David Enders Journalist	27 12PM - 3PM Salam Al-Iraqi Former physician in Baghdad 3PM - 6PM Peter J. Buotte and Steve Mumford Artist/soldier and artist 6PM - 9PM Zainab Saleh PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropology at Columbia University	28 12PM - 3PM Salam Al-Iraqi Former physician in Baghdad 3PM - 6PM Susan Meiselas Photographer, editor, and author
Government Humanities Journalism Sciences Visual Arts
sunday	monday	tuesday	wednesday	thursday	friday	saturday
1 12PM - 3PM Peter J. Buotte Artist and soldier 3PM - 6PM Salam Al-Iraqi Former physician in Baghdad	2	3	4 12PM - 3PM Arun Gupta Author and editor 3PM - 6PM Denis Halliday Former Assistant Secretary-General for the U.N. humanitarian program in Iraq	5 12PM - 3PM Gil Anidjar Professor at Columbia University 3PM - 6PM Alaa Majeed Journalist and translator 6PM - 9PM David Enders Journalist	6 12PM - 3PM Nour Al-Khal Former translator to journalist Stephen Vincent 3PM - 6PM Don Gomez Former Army Sergeant and member of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America 6PM - 9PM Amelia Templeton Refugee policy analyst at Human Rights First	7 12PM - 3PM Gil Anidjar Professor at Columbia University 3PM - 6PM Joseph Maximilian (“Max”) Krafft student at Wesleyan University, musician, and former soldier
8 12PM - 3PM Haider Hamza MA student in the School of International and Public Affairs Columbia University 3PM - 6PM Gil Anidjar Professor at Columbia University	9	10	11 12PM - 3PM Nour Al-Khal Former translator to journalist Stephen Vincent 3PM - 6PM Khalid Rashid Al-Doori Former architect in Baghdad	12 12PM - 3PM Brian Laguardia Student at New York University and former soldier 3PM - 6PM Alaa Majeed Journalist and translator 6PM - 9PM David Enders Journalist	13 12PM - 3PM Nour Al-Khal Former translator to journalist Stephen Vincent 3PM - 6PM Anthony Arnove Author and editor 6PM - 9PM Arun Gupta Author and editor	14 12PM - 3PM Carne Ross Former British diplomat and founder and director of Independent Diplomat 3PM - 6PM Haider Hamza MA student in the School of International and Public Affairs Columbia University
15 12PM - 3PM Marie-Hélène Carleton and Micah Garen Authors, photographers, and filmmakers 3PM - 6PM Khalid Rashid Al-Doori Former architect in Baghdad	16	17	18 12PM - 3PM Elizabeth Rubin Journalist 3PM - 6PM Zainab Saleh PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropology at Columbia University	19 12PM - 3PM Brian Laguardia Student at New York University and former soldier 3PM - 6PM Alaa Majeed Journalist and translator 6PM - 9PM David Enders Journalist	20 12PM - 3PM Christian Parenti Journalist and author 3PM - 6PM Don Gomez Former Army Sergeant and member of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America 6PM - 9PM Kate Armel and Carrie Costantini Founding Director and Treasurer of Honor Their Service, Inc. and President of Honor Their Service, Inc.	21 12PM - 3PM Donny George Youkhanna Former Director of the National Museum in Baghdad,Professor in the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies at State University of New York, Stony Brook 3PM - 6PM Haider Hamza MA student in the School of International and Public Affairs Columbia University
22 12PM - 3PM Esam Pasha Former translator and artist 3PM - 6PM Joseph Maximilian (“Max”) Krafft student at Wesleyan University, musician, and former soldier