The words that have departed
The words that have departed, 2021
2-channel video installation
Dinner Party (2021) is a one hour durational performance rooted in ritual, addressing language that violates the existence of khaleeji women and creating a discourse for this diatribe to exist in negative spaces rather than the normalized space it currently occupies in our societies.
The candles are derived from a comment made in reference to both Fatema and Shaikha’s ability to “blow out a candle,” meaning to de-escalate a situation. The candles burn throughout the performance alluding to society’s participation in manifesting a derogatory verbal culture against women.
The installation The words that have departed (2021), projected on two-screen panels, shows multiple perspectives documenting Dinner Party (2021), the live performance.
Fatema Al Fardan is a multidisciplinary artist creating photography and performance. She is a current recipient of the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship (2021). Al Fardan holds a dual BA from New York University Abu Dhabi in Economics and in Art and Art History: Art Practice (2020). Her work has been exhibited in Warehouse421 (2021), Middle East Institute's Art & Culture Center (2020), The Arts Center (2020), and Made in NY Media Center by IFP (2019). She won "Best Photo Associated with Sustainability" at the Abu Dhabi Ports Photography Competition (2017). Al Fardan likes to hear stories more than she likes to tell them. Al Fardan is a Visual Arts Editor at Postscript Magazine. Follow her on Instagram: @fatemaalfardan
Shaikha Al Salman is a filmmaker and artist who creates portals between the disciplines she navigates, working with film, projection, and performance. She is a current recipient of the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship (2021). Al Salman holds a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute (2020). Her work has been exhibited in Artist Television Access (2019) and The Diego Rivera Gallery (2020). Al Salman likes to discuss Twin Peaks theories in her free time. Follow her on Instagram: @shaikhadiaries