Sherko Abbas, Sharwal, 2009, 03:51

A practical solution provides comic relief in the video by Sherko Abbas. “Sharwal” is the local type of trousers that are worn traditionally by men in Kurdistan. Made from tightly woven wool and meticulously pleated, sharwal can be filled with air and used to assist in flotation. The bubble this garment creates when submerged into water has both a form and function that helps in crossing deep and broad waters. Practical ingenuity is transported in a folktale-like leap to the imaginary of travelling to faraway lands and crossing over borders.