This photograph is part of the series titled "Iris Tingitana project" (2007) focusing on the disappearance of the iris. If Yto Barrada was initially interested in the architectural heritage of the city, today the core of her research focuses on risks around landscape and its heritage. The iris, found bordering the city, carries the name of the city, and is an emblem of Tangier. This flower grows in the most improbable and resistant situations such as vacant land and construction sites. Now on roadsides, next to iris flowers grow geraniums, like in standardized European resorts. This photograph depicts a child proudly sporting a crown made of iris flowers in a deprived area. In traditional iconography, and especially in Catholic traditions, the iris, like the lily, is a royal symbol. This child reminds us of portraits from seventeenth century Dutch painting, in which flowers symbolize vanity. Despite the intense and interrogative look of the boy, one cannot help but think of the boy in a symbolized garden of Eden – a paradise lost.
