BBC NEWS | In Pictures | In pictures: Afghan contemporary art

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02:57 GMT, Sunday, 18 May 2008 03:57 UK

In pictures: Afghan contemporary art

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More than 70 artists submitted entries for Afghanistan's first contemporary art prize.

Work of filmmaker Alka Sadat

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Works by 10 artists - including this one by filmmaker Alka Sadat - were shortlisted.

A painting by Fareeha Ghezal Yousufzai

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Organisers say the prize money of $2,000 aims to support the small contemporary art scene in Afghanistan.

Imal Hashemi

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Afghanistan isn't just a place of trauma, it's a place where a cultural life can develop too, say the organisers.

A sculpture by Mohammad Ismael Zadran

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Zadran, who sculpted this exhibit, undertook an eight-hour bumpy journey to take part in the competition.

Ramzia Tajzada

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The Taleban movement regarded most art as haram - forbidden - in Islam.

Sahba Shams

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Some say art offers the Afghans a way of channelling their trauma and discussing topics which are still taboo in society.

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