Literature

'Desert Hay, 2023‘ The act of digging the hole symbolises a profound connection with the earth, while the tying of the ribbons explores the concept of interconnectedness. The act of cutting the ribbon amplifies the ephemeral nature of these connections and the impermanence of human experiences.

’Desert Hay' is a performance that had its inaugural presentation in the Sweihan desert of the United Arab Emirates, as part of the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship awarded to Hashel in 2016.
The project, reimagined in 2023 during aresidency in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, is now situated amid the desert landscape of Wadi Al Fann.

The performance is conceptualised as a series of repetitive and symbolic actions. Hashel commences by extracting a stick from his pocket, he then proceeds to dig a hole in the ground. In this hole, he positions the stick and affixes long, narrow strips of coloured film to it. These strips are subsequently cut. This ritualistic sequence, spanning a distanceof one kilometre, is captured from both aerial andground perspectives. A drone camera provides an aerial view, while a fixed camera mounted on a tripod documents the performance from the ground.
The ribbon itself is fashioned from credit card printing film. This material carries symbolic significance due to its association with the process used by banks to craft personalised cards for each customer.

While the cards themselves are uniqueand distinct, the film serving as their foundation remains unchanging, symbolising the shared origins of all human experiences.

Commissioned by The Royal Commission for AlUla witht he support of the French Agency for Al Ula Development.
Film: 15.47 minutes