Exile is a Hard Job is an ongoing project Nil Yalter began in 1975, featuring a series of ephemeral fly posters of immigrants painted over with the slogan 'Exile is a Hard Job'. Exile is a Hard Job contemplates the often challenging experience of being an immigrant ignored and ostracised in a foreign country. The title of the work is drawn from a poem by Nâzım Hikmet, an important Turkish poet who spent many years in exile in Russia. To this day, Exile is a Hard Job has been staged in Valencia, Metz, Mumbai, Vienna, Istanbul, Brussels, Cologne, and New York. Ab-Anbar's display marks the first staging of this artwork in London.
Nil Yalter: Nil Yalter (b. 1938) was born in Egypt and lives and works in Paris. A graduate of Robert College, Istanbul, Yalter's practice spans various media, including painting, installation,photography, video, and performance. Widely considered A pioneer female video artist in Europe, Yalter seeks to question the male gaze and give a platform to socially marginalised groups through her work. Yalter exhibited internationally in institutions, such as at Kadist Art Foundation, Mumbai; Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro; Museum Boijimans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam; MAC VAL, Paris; and Museum Ludwig Cologne. Works by Yalter are in many notable public collections, including Tate Modern, London; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; and Museum Ludwig, Cologne.
