Title: The Gold Mountain (جبل الذهب) — La Montagne d'Or

Artist: Ali Arkady

Year: 2026

Location / Context: Iraq (Tigris and Euphrates Basins, Mesopotamian Marshes & Historic Riverbeds)

Medium: Monolithography (original process developed by the artist), fractured central lithographic limestone matrix, 9 double-sided archival cardboard leaves with photographic prints mounted on fine handmade paper, sculptural book structure

Dimensions: 20 x 27 x 11 cm (7.87 x 10.63 x 4.33 in)

Pages: 9 leaves connected directly to the central stone core

Weight: 4 kg

Edition: Unique piece (1/1)

Price: €7,900

About the Artwork:

"The Gold Mountain" is a monumental sculptural artist’s book resulting from four continuous years of in-depth photographic and environmental field documentation across Iraq. Focusing on the catastrophic ecocide affecting the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the work examines industrial water pollution, unprecedented climate-induced drought, and the lingering toxic aftermath of decades of armed conflict across the Mesopotamian cradle.

The conceptual anchor of the work stems from widespread eschatological texts and regional mythologies prophesying that the Euphrates will dry up at the end of days to reveal mythical "The Gold Mountain," signaling apocalyptic culmination. Reinterpreting this ancient prophecy through the lens of modern climate collapse, the drastic desiccation of Iraq’s historic rivers does not reveal gold, but submerged archaeological remnants, parched riverbeds, and critical environmental ruin.

Created using the proprietary "Monolithography" method, the work is anchored by an authentic fractured lithographic limestone matrix placed at its center. Radiating outward from the mineral core are nine high-density archival cardboard leaves, upon which original photographic prints are meticulously mounted on fine fibrous paper. Conceived as a sculptural relic rather than a readable codex, the stone and leaves unite into an indivisible monolithic monument testifying to ecological fragility, deep time, and historical reckoning.