Saoirse Amira Anis, 'Holding Barzakh', (2022) Online Commission

LUX Scotland is happy to present a new online commission by Saoirse Amira Anis which is available to view online until 17 November.

‘Holding Barzakh’ documents the processes of foraging, cooking and dyeing fabric using ingredients traditionally found in Moroccan and Scottish cuisines. Having grown up in a two-culture household, Saoirse Amira Anis is interested in the shared rituals of these two seemingly disparate cultures.

Barzakh is an Arabic word designating a place separating the living from what comes after. It may also refer to the meeting place of fresh water and saltwater in an estuary. The title of the film refers to a state of existing in a beautiful middle ground — this space between spaces.

In the film, through an overlaid incantation, the work of the hands become labours of love, the products of which are imbued with this love. In this way the film investigates the tangible and intangible creations of shared rituals which seek to create a community-based strategy for survival; an ode to love, in all its forms.

‘Holding Barzakh’ was displayed as part of a multi-sensory installation at Platform 2022 as part of Edinburgh Art Festival, this new version comes with a series of suggestions to emulate these conditions and ignite your senses in your own space.

This screening will be accompanied by an online discussion with the artist on Thursday, 10 November, at 7:30pm. Book your place here.

Image description: A closely cropped image of a large, round and blackened metal fire pit which emits smoke that drifts to the left. Grey coals and a charred block of wood are being turned by a pair of shiny metal tongs which enter from the top of the image. The ground is concrete with dry grass in the background. To the bottom of the screen captions in a yellow and black font say ​‘This is a love spell.’