Dana Awartani – Standing by the Ruins of Aleppo, 2021

Amande Dionne
Amande Dionne

Venue

Usines Fagor

Lyon

Born 1987 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where she lives and works.

Whether involving film, textiles, performance or ceramics, Dana Awartani’s work is inspired by traditional Arab and Islamic culture. The monumental installation Standing by the Ruins of Aleppo is a replica of the courtyard of the Grand Mosque in Aleppo, which suffered severe damage during the Syrian Civil War. Made from adobe bricks of clay earth sourced from different parts of Saudi Arabia, and 23 x 13 metres in size, it features geometric patterns. The piece takes its name from pre-Islamic “ruin poetry”, known by the phrase wuquf ‘ala al-atlal (“standing by the ruins”), which is gaining fresh resonance in the work of a generation of young artists receptive to the losses caused by Middle Eastern conflicts. By restoring public access to a destroyed item of cultural heritage, this artwork offers a note of hope and resilience despite the fragility of today’s world.