وصفات طبيعية Natural Recipes, 2019Installation, LED sign, 135 cm x 40 cm x 15 cm
S’hur (ar : سحور), which can be translated to magic, sorcery, or conjury, is very much alive in Morocco today. In fact, magic, traditional and natural remedies have existed in Morocco long before modern medical practices, but have taken different forms over the centuries. The art of herbalism plays a huge role in Moroccan society as it revolves around the preparation of mixed various ingredients; plants, animal parts, and minerals. The recipe can sometimes contain up to seventy different ingredients or more depending on the Achchab (The herbalist) who prepares it.
All this raised my interest in the topic and led me to make few artworks, and one of the installations is under the name “Natural Recipes”, which consisted in a LED panel display. The work represents a text that can attract people who are looking for natural remedies to solve problems like premature ejaculation, impotence among both men and women; and also treatments to increase penis size, grow butt, breast and hips… Usual problems for which herbalist shops and “experts” are used to offer solutions for in Morocco, but also in other countries such as Egypt, Tunisia...”
Through this project, I’m questioning the position and the exact role of the herbalist in Moroccan society nowadays and how is the herbalist perceived by society, who their customers/clientele are, the different kinds of knowledge mobilized by the herbalist, how the knowledge is transmitted, preserved and possibly transformed as well as the connection between contemporary forms of spiritual healing and magic rituals in Egypt.
