Five years in making, Mig-21 fighter plane gets a glow from tens of millions of glass beads-huge
“We will make things of beads that will take the breath of people,” he says. Ralph Ziman in Jarrar For the “Mig-21 Project”, a military plane that he and the Transcontinental team enveloped the nose millions of millions of glass beads.
Over the past 12 years, the Los Angeles -based artist has studied the effects of the era of the Cold War and the global weapons trade through a trilogy entitled “With the title” Huge production weaponsMotivated by his upbringing in South Africa in the era of apartheid. More than half a decade, the “Mig-21 Project” completes the series.
The first batch, “AK-47 Project”, the aesthetic of one of the most weapons everywhere in the world, was re-visited Kalashnikova 1947, by painting dozens of weapons in colored glass grains. The second project revolves around Cassepir, a mine -resistant vehicle (MRAPV) that was presented in the 1970s, which was similarly decorated with vibrant geometric patterns.
“The idea was to take these weapons of war and re -display them,” Ziman says, as it turned the narration around the icons of violence and converted them instead into the symbols of flexibility, cooperation and group. Vehicles and firearms turn into the theater of hope and strength in the face of a terrible twentieth legacy.
The apartheidAnd in Africans means “separation”, is the name that was appointed by the National National Party governed by the white minority to a harsh system of apartheid that began in 1948. The period lasted until 1991 and is closely related in the context of international relations in the Cold War with the outbreak of tensions between the United States and the United States of America. The spread of communism in the West, the war began in 1947 and also ended in 1991 when the Soviet Union was dissolved.
During this time, the Russians produced a fighter plane called Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-21. Zeiman says the plane is “the fastest voices of the most productive sound in all ages.” “The Russians built 12500 MIG-21, and they are still being used today-just like Cassepir, just like AK-47s. But from one thing to say, hey, I want to bring Mega, then the next thing, you have Mig 48 feet sitting in your studio.”
The “Mig-21 project” combines photography, fashion design, historical research, and time-based indigenous crafts. The project includes not only aircraft, but a series of cinematic photos, the Afafotoria series inspired by military airlines, African tribal textiles and space travel.
The Ziman team includes many skilled craftsmen They are famous for their beads. For Ndebele, beads are a way to express cultural identity and traffic rituals, taking into account the strong political connotations in the twentieth century as they are linked to African traditions and identity before colonialism.
Ziman deals with the lessons of our past, which addresses the current conflicts such as war, global armament race, modern colonialism, systemic racism, and white excellence through the lens of apartheid. The money collected throughout the operation, part of the mission Huge production weapons The trilogy as a whole is donated to the people of Ukraine to support the continuous conflict in the country with Russia.
You will be able to see the “Mig-21 Project” later this year in Seattle, where it will be shown from June 21 to January 26, 2026, at the flight museum. Explore more about Ziman Website.
