Former soldier exhibits his lived experience and the complexity of conflict in Afghanistan
A former soldier has opened an exhibition at a Westminster gallery, featuring documentary photography, sculpture and memorabilia.
The Art to Disarm exhibition takes a timely look back on Bran Symondson’s personal experiences of Afghanistan both as a member of the British Army Special Forces in 2008 and as a photographer embedded with the Afghan National Police in 2010.
It includes personal memorabilia from Mr Symondson’s time in the army and photographs he shot during the period, alongside pieces demonstrating the evolution of his practice as a sculptor.
The recent fall of Afghanistan inspired him to revisit his archive, create new works and present this reflexive and poignant exhibition.
He said: “With the recent news, many ex-army friends were reaching out to me which inspired me to look through my hard drive.
“I was so shocked by how rich and diverse the images were, there were so many small and forgotten moments.”
Among the sculptures are a series of AK-47s.
Each one is adorned with various objects and enhanced with handmade bullets containing commodities related to its individual story.
The guns he works with are mainly sourced from war zones, many have seen battle and are marked with tell-tale scares that attest to their former lives.
Mr Symondson’s work explores themes of conflict and violence in a sensitive and thought-provoking manner drawn from personal experience.
Beyond this there are also subtle themes embedded throughout the work.
He considers the environmental impact of the arms trade through use of native materials from certain geographical locations as well as utilising butterflies to celebrate the beauty and fragility of the natural world.
Mr Symondson is also a studious collector, gathering pieces of the Berlin Wall, African sand, precious stones, and opium seeds among many other substances during his travels.
These are included in the work, hidden in the gun’s bullet casings, and bring his pieces to life.
Mr Symondson’s exhibition presents an original approach to conflict, war and violence while inviting the viewer to look beyond the media and their preconceptions.
The exhibition shows his lived experience, the complexity of the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and the impacts of violence more widely on humanity and the natural environment.
The Art to Disarm is at the House of Fine Art until December 9.
Main Picture: Bran Symondson, Portrait in Afghanistan, 2008
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