Conference of the Birds is a performative installation based on the poem by the Persian writer Farid ud-Din Attar from the 12th century. In this allegorical narrative poem the birds go to the world, which symbolize human souls seeking their origin to God in the guise of the mythical Simoerg. The story deals with the main themes of Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam. After many trials along the valley of love, knowledge, detachment, unity, bewilderment, hardship and finally only a few birds reach their target dead. High in the mountains, however, they are not the Simoerg but their own reflection in the surface of a lake.
For this installation De Wolf makes in co-creation with some residents five masks of bird heads. The masks are activated on the finissage the exhibition during a performance by residents, staff and the artist himself. The mask, which is normally a symbol for hiding, here is a symbol of an inner quest for the soul. The performance emphasizes the collective, ritualistic aspect of this quest. In this way, playing Conference of the Birds a subtle game of show and hide and lay it bare tensions between community and individual.
The conference of the birds
Performative installation
6 bird masks
Papier - maché
60 X 40 cm
THE CONFERENCE OF THE BIRDS
Conference of the Birds is a performative installation based on the poem by the Persian writer Farid ud-Din Attar from the 12th century. In this allegorical narrative poem the birds go to the world, which symbolize human souls seeking their origin to God in the guise of the mythical Simoerg. The story deals with the main themes of Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam. After many trials along the valley of love, knowledge, detachment, unity, bewilderment, hardship and finally only a few birds reach their target dead. High in the mountains, however, they are not the Simoerg but their own reflection in the surface of a lake.
For this installation De Wolf makes in co-creation with some residents five masks of bird heads. The masks are activated on the finissage the exhibition during a performance by residents, staff and the artist himself. The mask, which is normally a symbol for hiding, here is a symbol of an inner quest for the soul. The performance emphasizes the collective, ritualistic aspect of this quest. In this way, playing Conference of the Birds a subtle game of show and hide and lay it bare tensions between community and individual.
Text: Piet Van Hecke - M HKA