Rand Abdul Jabbar, 'where myths are born of mud and desire', installation view at Desert X AlUla, 2024. Photo: Lance Gerber. Courtesy of The Royal Commission for AlUla.
Rand Abdul Jabbar participates at the third edition of Desert X AlUla, presenting an installation titled 'where myths are born of mud and desire'.
Under the theme of 'In the Presence of Absence', Desert X AlUla asks "what cannot be seen?". Often dismissed as spaces of emptiness, deserts are rendered mute, static, but there is much more than meets the eye. Artists taking part in Desert X AlUla 2024 are invited to explore ideas of the unseen and the inexpressible.
where myths are born of mud and desire
Since the beginning of time, we’ve gazed upon the sky
in search of our origins
reasons for being
a star rising from the east
signals a new dawn
and as it inches closer towards the sun
we see in it a reflection of ourselves
encountering the warm embrace
of illumination
wisdom, which we fashion into crowns
blessings, upon all that gives life
where myths are born of mud and desire
while our star fades behind the blazing light
the moon shepherds us through the dark
as raging tides descend upon the shore
for the battle cry
we launch in stride
marching fearless into the storm’s eye
where victory and loss are intertwined
but hope,
on the horizon lies
for the everlasting union
of day
and night
For Abdul Jabbar, history and its records attest to humanity’s shared fascination for the celestial realm. The mysterious phenomenon of a star rising in the morning sky until it disappears behind the sun, only to appear again as an evening star, has been observed by civilizations for millennia. Over time, we recognized this motion as the solar orbit of a single planetary body, Venus. This eternal cycle, witnessed over thousands of years, embodies many of humanity’s elemental beliefs about the duality of life and death, love and war. These beliefs have been crafted into myths and legends that crossed land and sea to be transformed and resurrected under new names.
where myths are born of mud and desire weaves and recounts an allegory of cosmic events and ancestral beliefs, contemplating our enduring quest for meaning and purpose. The rising star serves as a potent symbol, signifying new journeys towards self-discovery and enlightenment. The work describes the intertwined nature of life and loss, emphasizing resilience and gesturing at renewal.
Open to all, Desert X AlUla is a recurring and temporary, site-responsive, international open-air art exhibition taking place in AlUla, a globally significant ancient desert region in the Arabian Peninsula.
