Sunday Times Photographer and former British army reservist Bran Symondson was serving in Afghanistan when he noticed an odd trend: Afghan soldiers were decorating their weapons with stickers and other adornments. Symondson decided to up the ante and completely overhaul one of the world's deadliest weapons for his exhibit "AKA Peace."
The exhibit, which closed yesterday in London, displayed AK 47s covered in buttlerflies, rhinestones and American dollar bills. Symondson draws parallels between his guns and a British teenager "pimping out" their car.
"We noticed they (Afghan police) would adorn their AK-47s with flowers, stickers," Symondson said. "And I realised it was the only possession in their life."
Playing on the contrast between art and military force, Symondson worked with over 20 artists to create the exhibit. "AKA Peace" was hosted at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in central London. Each gun will now travel to Phillips de Pury & Company auction house October 4th with proceeds donated to the Peace One Day charity.
Implications - Creatively, this opens the doors for discussions about the weapon’s lethal nature, the part it plays psychologically in a soldier’s life and questions the negative connotations associated with it.
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