Interactive Performance in the Underlands Group Exhibition at Haus Der Statistik, Berlin, June 2024
Loor, as known by the people of southern Iran, also called the sacred fig (scientific name: Ficus religiosa), has an unusual life cycle. Its seeds are dispersed via bird droppings, which land on other trees. These seeds then sprout and send roots down toward the ground. As the branches spread and grow around the trunk of the host tree, they gradually suffocate it. Eventually, the host tree dies, and the sacred fig stands on its own.
Fig-ure was an interactive performance dedicated to sacred trees and addressing the power of wishes, prayers, and talismans connecting human and non-human beings. The public was invited to make a wish or say a prayer and tie white fabrics to the branches of the tree. This tree was the key element of Underlands, the final exhibition of Common Ground Decolonial Art Education Residency with Collective Webs.
Photo Credits: Collective Webs