Michael Rakowitz’s work, The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist, was unveiled on the Fourth Plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square on March 28, 2018. To celebrate the occasion, and inspired by the Arabic proverb ‘A house with a date palm will never starve,’ as well as the artist’s interest in themes of food and hospitality as a means by which to bridge cultural and political divides, Plinth worked with Rakowitz to produce this limited edition date palm box.
Each box consists of a date syrup tin sourced from Karbala in Iraq and is accompanied by a signed artist’s book of recipes from chefs including Claudia Roden, Honey & Co. and Michael’s mother, Yvonne Rakowitz. The recipes all incorporate date syrup, whether peripherally or centrally; The Invisible Enemy Should Not Exist is itself made of date syrup cans, alluding to the economy for a foodstuff destabilised by the war that saw the original Lamassu destroyed.
The work is an edition of 2,376, the same number of Karbala cans featured in the Fourth Plinth commission itself, and is a playful invitation to the public to take a piece of it home with them.
Please note that, due to their journey from Iraq, some of the date tins are slightly dented. Any defects (minor) are part of the work.
About the Artist
Michael Rakowitz, a renowned Iraqi-American artist, is Professor of Art Theory and Practice at Northwestern University. A sculptor, detective and sometimes chef, Rakowitz is keenly attuned to the social dimensions of art practice, producing work characterised by a process of deep research. Working with architecture, artefacts and food, Rakowitz excavates personal, social and material histories and connects seemingly disparate stories across time and space.
He has had numerous solo and group exhibitions, including his first solo exhibition in the Middle East and Asia at Jameel Arts Centre from March 11 to November 22, 2020.
About the Brand
Plinth is inspired by contemporary culture, art and design. Driven by a focus on the ‘democratisation of art,’ Plinth publishes artists’ objects and merchandise with institutions of note and in the belief that beautiful, interesting and affordable things should be for everyone.
