Baghdad1258

Baghdad1258 is a music video and a video art piece at the same time. It was presented as first single of the new EP from ATŌMI premiered on Inverted Audio, but was conceived as the central element for an art installation to be presented in different art centres and museums. A version adapted for a multiscreen installation was presented at Mutek.AR Festival on October 2023.

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The album’s concept explores the correlations between natural events (solar flares) and man-made destructions of culture (usually the burning of books and other cultural items). Being each track a representation of one of these events in history. In this particular case in Baghdad 1258 A.D. The video presents a series of passages, poetic scenes that try to capture pieces of the events described in history books.

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Although, there is a debate about the veracity of the events happened back in 1258 A.D. when the Mongols besieged Baghdad. According to some of books (Lost Islamic History – 2014, Lost Libraries – 2004, History of the Libraries of the Western World – 1976) “so many books were thrown into the Tigris that they formed a bridge that would support men on horseback”. Truth or myth, the story remains, the image of their culture being thrown into the Tigris river, turning its water into ink, is a powerful and poetic image that transcended the real events. The video, as the original texts did in the past, offers a romantic visual interpretation.

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The purpose of the videos was to create scenes that were beautiful to watch to keep hooked the viewer until the end of the video. Creating an abstract narrative, where singles scenes tell pieces of the story, allowing the viewer to wonder and leave him wanting to know more towards the end.

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A little video teaser was also created for the EP ‘ATØMIA’ where the long list of events create a feeling of infinite chain that will never end.