Mina El Shourouk Ila Al Fahma

Description

Mounira Al Solh (1978 Beirut) made this tent in response to an Arab canopy of the Shah of Persia (1834-1848) that is richly decorated. With this space - originally reserved for men - power and wealth were conveyed.

When you enter the red tent ‘Lackadaisical Sunset to Sunset’ (2019) by Mounira, you will see mountain animals, plant motifs and stylized female organs embroidered on the canvas. Stories can be read all around - in a series of medallions at eye level. For example, Rawiya, a ten-year-old girl who, as a woman, was not allowed to camp with the men in her family. Their previous stories about wild boars, foxes and rock badgers had sparked her curiosity to such an extent that she secretly hitched a ride in the back of her father and brothers' bus. With this action she forced her participation in this men's outing.

The artist wants to share with us stories about women who survive a system of inequality with humor, solidarity and determination. "A tent also became, for me, like a library," she explains, "like a little reading room, where you can read those stories and save them from being forgotten."

The names of the hours are embroidered in the tent roof in Arabic calligraphy. Through a speaker you can hear the voice of the Lebanese singer Rima Khcheich, she reads the hours of the day. This refers to the biological clock and the ticking of time.

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