Gaze

This project explores the relationship between three elements: the distance, the “Kareem” bird, and the cage. The relationship between these elements is consolidated and framed from the perspective of personal stories and daily life in a context where the colonial dimension is always present. The concepts of distance and boundaries form the basis of this project, represented via a piece of Plexi engraved and folded using heat. The idea of folding comes as an attempt to bring the distance closer and freeze it. It is inspired by folding the headscarf; a process that requires two people, one of whom is stationary, while the other moves until the distance become close. Through this work, I try to freeze this proximity to bring the distant one closer. The idea stems from the time I studied in Damascus. Families were meeting on both sides of the ceasefire line on Mother’s Day. People were in large numbers. To distinguish individuals, it was agreed upon to use colors. “Karim” bird, on the other hand, occupies a certain status in the religious community in the Golan. It is a symbol of heritage and popular practices rooted in the past. It also represents everything familiar and ordinary in daily life. I always wondered where the rituals of marrying the male and female birds came about! The ornamented cage is a spatial metaphor for a context that embraces an ideal and happy life, even though behind all the trimmings and decorations, the metal bars still emerge.