GARDEN AMONGST THE FLAMES (in film)

Features performative activation of research-based unique circular raking tools responsive to sung ancient Arabic poetry, designed for audience interaction—setting the stage for a participatory sculptural installation that delves into themes of the mysticism of sound, Sufi ritual, and Japanese dry-gardening aesthetics.

Scattered across the desert, magnetic ground anchors invite participants into the installation, where the body, guided by sculptural tools, opens a meditative space from the surface of the elemental ground. These instruments mediate between body and terrain, unearthing soundless voices from beneath the surface—tracing their water-like sonic geometries in the sand.

Collaborators:
Vocalizations for sonic pattern extractions:
Tara Aldughaither & Bilal Allaf

Film:
Directed by Bilal Allaf
Cinematographer — Hussam Mohammed El Sayed
Assistant cinematographer — Abdullah Fahad Al Abdulaziz

Performed by
Alyona Volkova
Bilal Allaf
Inna Moodja
Mariam Murshed
Luai Alahmadi