Scott King: Anish and Antony Take Afghanistan

Written by British graphic designer Scott King (born 1969) and illustrated by Philadelphia artist Will Henry, this funny, irreverent graphic novel depicts two protagonists of British public art-Anish Kapoor and Antony Gormley-attempt to solve Afghanistan's many woes. The astonishing power of public art has long been recognized by both governments and big business alike, with increasingly enormous public sculptures being deployed to "regenerate" ailing post-industrial areas or add "wow factor" to corporate HQ piazzas and ever-expanding airports. What if this strategy were employed in an attempt to turn around the fortunes of an entire country? This book, published in JRP|Ringier's Hapax series, proposes a scenario in which Kapoor and Gormley are commissioned by the United Nations in a last-ditch effort to solve the social, financial and political problems of Afghanistan.