Stupid War 

Agim Sulaj created this painting, called "Stupid War," using oil on canvas. It encapsulates the depersonalizing impact of war, especially on the individual soldier. The composition is stark: A soldier in camouflage fatigues stands at attention, saluting a fallen comrade’s rifle and helmet. The soldier is headless, which suggests a loss of identity, an erasure of individuality in the face of conflict. Sulaj likely made this painting in the early 2000s, during a time when debates about military intervention in the Middle East were at the forefront of political discourse. The ‘war on terror’ became a fixture of daily life. As an historian, I see Sulaj critiquing both the machinery of war, and the often unthinking patriotism that fuels it. Further research into the artist’s biography and the socio-political context in which he was working might reveal even more layers of meaning in this powerful image. The public role of art is to question institutions, and this work certainly achieves that.