Abdulnasser Gharem
Performances and installations in Saudi Arabia with social, ecological and political concerns.
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The background to this is the history of the bridge. In 1982 one day word spread following heavy rain that a flash-flood was about to sweep down the valley. So the villagers near this bridge decided to shelter on the concrete bridge. They put their faith in concrete. They gathered there with their vehicles and livestock and waited. The flood came, yet it washed away both the bridge and the people on it. Many years later I have covered the remains of this bridge with one word: Al Siraat. It took three days of intense labour with many helpers to achieve this.
In Arabic Al-Siraat can mean 'the path' or 'the way' in the spiritual sense of the word: it's about the choices you make in life, and whether or not you follow the straight path. It can also refer to the bridge that you face when you die connecting this world and the next. (AG)
© Photo: Abdulnasser Gharem
Performances and installations in Saudi Arabia with social, ecological and political concerns.