Return
of the Soul - the Nakbah Project, is a moving artwork comprised of thousands
of small wax figures creating an illussion of exodus. The
artwork is truly three dimensional and evokes the flight of thousands of people
down an uneven hill. To create this effect, each figure has its own place on
one of the 142 rows of the grid - on the left or the right. And, as the hill
is uneven, and of course, has a gradient, each figure is suspended at a different
height, it's feet touching the invisible hill beneath.
Left <<<: Figures being handed down from the platformRight >>>: Trude, an unknown woman, Robyn, Mohammed and Pippa.
So, as figures were handed down to a helper, the helper had to record the height of the figure, the length of the wire, the row number of the figure, and whether it was on the left or the right. Then the figure was wrapped, labelled and handed across to be catalogued and packed, so that when it arrives in Beirut, everyone can work out where it has to go. Otherwise much of the shape, the mood and the effect of the installation would be lost. One helper spoke of how moved she was each time she wrapped a figure, describing it as "a soulful moment".
Left <<<: Alan taking down the
wire mesh (in a rare sighting without his hard hat!). Right >>>: The End! Left to right; Neville (still working,) Phil, Trude, Iain, Gordon, (at the back,) Jean, (in the stripes,) Pippa, and Alan.
Around twenty people completed some two months' work in two days, with patience, commitment, caffeine, Wassim's fine food from El-Daar's, the odd fish supper and remarkably few grumpy words. Music helped the team along during the unistall, and figures were lowered and packed away to the accompaniment of Moishe's Bagel, Gwen Stefani, Joni Mitchell, REM and David Bowie. Leith & North's correspondent was proud to be involved, and enjoyed the esprit de corp created by everyone's desire to show the people of Palestine that the world is mindful of them and supports them, as they suffer and struggle.
Left <<<: Some of the team celebrate the finish in
El-Daar's Lebanese cafe, based in Theatre WorkshopRight >>>: Trude and Pippa chat with Cecelia Yu, the artist behind the succeeding exhibition.
As the end drew near, Jane and the team imagined the future travels of the figures (with their little passports,) as they travel on from Beirut and Amman. We hoped that they would travel round the great cities of the world. So wherever you might be reading this, be it Perth or Istanbul, or Washington, or Wales, we at Leith & North hope that one day you will get a chance to meet the figures and hear their stories.
Patriothall Gallery web site >>>
Return of the Soul web site >>>
Edinburgh Art Festval web site >>>
A nightmare of shattered lives: The Scotsman, July 24th >>>
Wikipedia article on the Auschwitz concentration camp >>>
