Arq-e-Gulab (Essence of Rose)
Mariam Magsi
Audio+Video, Poetry, ASMR, Performance
2022
"Host them, even if they do not host you." (Hadith) Dawat Yan Banquet is proud to present Arq-e-Gulab (Essence of Rose) an audio+video, ASMR, poetic and performative work by Mariam Magsi. Using rose petals and water in a crystal bowl, while wearing Balochi traditional, cultural garments, the artist invites the “guest” or viewer to participate in a hand-washing ceremony to open the Dawat Yan Banquet. Engaging with aesthetic and conceptual components of ritual and hospitality, while questioning hostile Western intolerances toward incoming migrant and refugee populations from countries in crisis, Mariam channels poetry, ASMR techniques, repetition and sound to create a soothing environment for the tired guest. In a world gripped by a global pandemic, climate change, unrest and division, Arq-e-Gulab or Essence of Rose serves as a heady respite, welcoming guests into the Dawat Yan Banquet. The accompanying poem by the artist, available in audio and text format, is inspired by Islamic hospitality norms highlighted in the Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad). Rose petals are a recurring material in Mariam’s performative, lens-based and installation-based works and are commonly used for ornamentation during South Asian weddings, funerals, births, and also serve as active expressions of love. Rose petals are commonly found in Sufi shrines and graveyards across Pakistan, as they are often used to ornament graves of the deceased. Rose water is used in hand-washing, on the face for cosmetic purposes and is also consumed in food.
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
dear guest
please come in
take off your shoes
feel the plush rug within.
Come!
Let’s wash your tired hands
Let’s wash your hands.
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
dear guest.
You’ve been lonely for far too long
carrying your sadness
I’m singing your song.
Rest your aching feet
your heart’s drum I will beat
your bed of roses awaits you.
Close your sleepless eyes
“Sigh” Yes! Let out your sighs!
The heady petals are bowing for you.
Our elders would say
guests come from God
Never
Ever
turn them away!
The golden messenger
flew to the heavens
and came back to tell us
“Host them! Even when they do not host you.” (Hadith)
So I say..
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
dear guest.
Please come in!
Take off your shoes.
Feel the plush rug within.
Come!
Let’s wash your tired hands
Let’s wash your hands
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
dear guest
please come in
take off your shoes
feel the plush rug within.
Come!
Let’s wash your tired hands
Let’s wash your hands.
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
dear guest.
You’ve been lonely for far too long
carrying your sadness
I’m singing your song.
Rest your aching feet
your heart’s drum I will beat
your bed of roses awaits you.
Close your sleepless eyes
“Sigh” Yes! Let out your sighs!
The heady petals are bowing for you.
Our elders would say
guests come from God
Never
Ever
turn them away!
The golden messenger
flew to the heavens
and came back to tell us
“Host them! Even when they do not host you.” (Hadith)
So I say..
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
dear guest.
Please come in!
Take off your shoes.
Feel the plush rug within.
Come!
Let’s wash your tired hands
Let’s wash your hands
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
