My research inspired me to create a space of dichotomies—a contemplative environment where contrasting beliefs, objects, and practices are reimagined and reappropriated to blur the lines of established systems. This installation will transform these contrasts into a collective city experience. Modernity and the past, sacred and profane, material and immaterial, labor and leisure, tradition and progress—all these dichotomies exist in constant tension, each threatening to lose its value without the other. Our need to inscribe meaning into our thoughts, objects, and actions creates these contrasts, ensuring our physical experiences are rich with significance.
I really wanted to work with public space and explore the territories of private public spaces. I wanted the installation to be set in an open space, defined by carpet tiles that establish boundaries and impart a sense of reverence and purity. This setup creates a clear distinction between binaries: external and internal, public and private, pure and impure. Visitors will be required to remove their shoes before entering, symbolizing the transition from the mundane to the sacred.
At the center of this space will stand a spiral staircase-like structure made of concrete blocks, doubling as bakhoor burning vessels. These blocks will be adorned with handwritten lyrics, poetry, folktales, and drawings collected from shopkeepers and residents in their native languages—Urdu, Farsi, Arabic, Hindi, and more. These inscriptions will reflect the creativity and power of the diverse communities of Sharjah, united by their labor and quest for sustenance.
The smoke from the burning bakhoor will represent both industrial progress and spiritual ascent. Smoke, with its ephemeral nature, symbolizes the quick passage of history and the obscuring of vision, creating a fog of uncertainty. Yet, it also signifies a mystical offering to the heavens, an awakening of ancestors, and a bridge between the material and immaterial.
Concrete, a hallmark of contemporary architecture and modernity, represents the material world—rigid, rough, and mass-produced. Despite its enduring nature, concrete's value is constantly in question, just as our inscribed meanings are. The interaction of concrete and bakhoor smoke embodies the duality of modernity and tradition, materiality and spirituality.
The spiral staircase itself symbolizes labor and progress, a hierarchical link between different states of being. Ascending these steps represents the physical and spiritual journey toward ultimate truth and creative power. This journey echoes the daily lives of Sharjah's transcontinental, religiously diverse, and multi-linguistic communities, whose labor and cultural expressions create a vibrant tapestry of life in the city.
