Impactful Yemen installation coming to a close at IWM North

An installation that has been displayed at IWM North in Salford, is coming to a close this month

“Yemen: Inside a crisis”, which has been on since the 17th May, is the UK’s first exhibition to address Yemen’s ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis.

Open at Imperial War Museum North in Salford until the 26th January, its aim is to spread awareness of the effects the conflict has had on the Yemeni population.

The Exhibition displays around 50 objects and photographs, alongside interactive videos based around the crisis.

The consequences of the eight-year-on-going conflict on the currency of Yemen has also been another key focus of the Exhibition. Visitors will be able to see how the collapse of the Yemeni rial has led to simple items being vastly out of reach of the general population.

As part of this, IWM North went outside of the Exhibition and had public displays accriss Salford and Manchester. The aim of these was to show the public the cost of everyday items and there vastly inflated prices since the conflict began.

£11 for a Mars bar?

The conflict in #Yemen has tipped the nation into an economic tailspin, destroying livelihoods and driving up food prices beyond the reach of ordinary Yemenis.

Ahead of #InsideYemenCrisis, visit us @NetworkRailMAN and witness the cost of the conflict. pic.twitter.com/zYDN8iCVUr

— IWM North (@IWMNorth) May 9, 2019

The Exhibition also includes a new art commission as artwork by Yemeni street artist Murad Subay is displayed at IWM North.

The artwork spans a whole wall within the Exhibition space. The art piece, titled Devoured examines the inaccessibility of food, water and healthcare, was created by using stencils.

Several of the Items on display have been took from Yemen itself. The aim to provide the public with a direct representation of what Yemeni people face on a daily basis.

In an interview that was conducted back in May, Louise Skidmore – Head of Contemporary conflict at IWM North explained the concept behind the Exhibition.

The current war in Yemen was sparked in the aftermath of the 2011 Arab uprisings.

This movement forced the then president of 33 years, Ali Abdullah Saleh out of office. Since then, various failed political attempts have occurred.

This has then allowed an opportunity for conflict between rebel groups and international backed governments.

Yemen: Inside a crisis runs at IWM North until the 26th January.

Attendance is free and anyone interested in the Exhibition can find out more information on IWM’s website here.