thepoliticalnotebook:

Libyan artists turns the remnants of war into art. Ali Al-Wakwak, a longtime artist in Benghazi, has collected the chunks of iron, burned out jeeps and rusted weaponry from the Libyan revolution and turned it into sculpture. Above are his pieces The Ant, meant to represent the Libyan people (“Gaddafi told us we were insects, OK then, we might be ants, but we are huge ants!”), Faces of War, which is still incomplete and made from old helmets, and The Dinosaur, meant to symbolize the now extinct Gaddhafi.

Photos by Karim Mostafa.

[Mashallah News]

(via thepoliticalnotebook)

Libyan engineer Mustafa Shaab bin Ragheb  • Discussing the current situation with the Libyan government, six months into the war. Yes, friends, today is the six-month anniversary of NATO getting involved in Libya’s civil war, which remains controversial for some but has led to the crumbling of Gaddafi’s regime. There are many issues to deal with from here — including a splintering rebel movement — but “we finally got rid of that bloody monkey” certainly seems like a good result of a lengthy civil war. source (via • follow)

NATO Col. Roland Lavoie • Emphasizing that the situation in Tripoli is far from over. You know, just in case you had any questions about it. A key sign of this was the reappearance of Saif al-Islam, a symbolic flash point that suggested to many that this wasn’t going to be an overnight change. Regarding the explanation on his sudden reappearance, rebel spokesperson Dia Alhutmany explained off earlier reports that he helped circulate about al-Islam’s reappearance: ”Anyway, whether he is arrested or still free, the regime is no longer (ruling) the country, and very soon he and his father will be captured.” Either way, the fighting is still on. Much more to do. source (via • follow)

pantslessprogressive:

From a great piece by Rory Mulholland over at The Guardian, The Libyan artists driving Gaddafi to the wall:

“We have a dream,” is the slogan – written in English – on giant billboards that have started to appear across the city. Benghazi’s seafront is where that dream is most evident. The red, green and black flag of the uprising is everywhere, alongside French, British and US flags, a sign of gratitude for the Nato air strikes keeping Gaddafi’s forces at bay. Frenzied anti-Gaddafi rallies are held on most days in the seafront square, with tribal leaders, politicians or rebel fighters making fiery speeches, sparking wild applause and much celebratory gunfire.

The revolution has lifted the lid on a repressed society and the people of Benghazi are making up for the lost years. They have quickly set up newspapers, radio stations and rap bands to say things that just a few months earlier would have got them locked up or worse. But the Gaddafi caricatures are the most striking manifestation of the new-found freedom of expression.

If you need a reminder as to why art is exceptionally powerful and beautiful in the face of devastation, this article is for you. [Artist above unknown; please let me know if you know the source.]

(via pantslessprogressive)