No evil shall prosper
My wings are spread
Imma be the flyest chick
Alexandra Shéhérazade Salem’s practice revolves around the body and performance. Her present installation can be read as a stage setting whose activation does not require the presence of the artist. The room is conceived as a liminal space; the place of an introspective and liberating transition. The sound piece is the first step towards a spiritual awakening that focuses on the emancipation of the body – both in its private and social context.
The use of the ornamental vocabulary can be read as elements of protection and expressions of identity opposed to the canon of good taste. Far from its narcissistic connotations in the West, the mirror is often used in a Middle Eastern context. Associated with ceremonial practices and carrying poetic and sacred meanings, it constitutes a tool for self-reflection; a portal to other worlds and other ways of existence.
The scarf refers to female dance rituals that empower a sensual connection to one’s own body. The replacement of the usual decorative sequins by mirrors places this practice in a relationship to the divine and the sacred. The movement, which thus places the embodied explorations of femininity in an emotional and spiritual realm, is construed as a process of healing and care. The use of hair is part of this re-reading of bodily attributes, as the hearts formed by the locks correspond to the roses associated with love in the Iranian poetic tradition. By evoking our need for love, the artist appeals to the power of vulnerability and invites us to rethink the way we relate to society.
Translation: Plattform team
Photo credits: Guadalupe Ruiz
Hip scarf in collaboration with Kumrije Saiti