iGNANT is an interdisciplinary Berlin-based blog featuring creatives in the fields of art, design, photography and architecture. The team behind iGNANT is dedicated to the picture, to moods and esthetics, finding its expression in our in-house productions of photographs, videos and original written content. Since its launch 2007 it steadily built up a strong esthetical identity, appealing readers from all over the world. In 2011 iGNANT won the ‘Golden Lead Award’ in the category ‘Weblog of the Year’ and was furthermore nominated for the ‘Grimme Online Award’.

The inspiration for the series ‘Accidental Empires’ by Matthew Quick, was the fall and rise of Empires in the history. ‘When the US seized Baghdad, the soldiers celebrated by destroying art. Removing contemporary politics, this destruction illustrates how little has changed psychologically in the 1500 years since the barbarian sack of Rome. With one notable difference. Rome was destroyed by uneducated warriors. In Baghdad, the event was stage-managed for TV’, he explains. His series shows ancient sculptures with odd requisites, which put them in a completely different light while depriving their solemn seriousness. The arising ironic undertone provides the perfect foundation for a revisionist take on the notions of beauty, pride, and nationalism.