Ford Foundation Gallery
Curated by Roxana Fabius, Kobe Ko, and Beya Othmani
Interactive sculpture installation, 2024
11x11 feet, height variable
Fabric, velcro, thread, inflator, infant blankets, synthetic dye, turmeric dye, lights programmed to dim like breath, lavender, aluminum cast, rope, diapers, baby clothes, hand written stories about reproductive loss
Purple Placenta is multilayered inflatable is designed to resemble a placenta. Based on the practices of ancient artist-healers, whose therapeutic conversations with afflicted women helped to trap their demons and guide them through difficult situations, I invited visitors to enter, communicate with Lilith, and share stories of birth, abortion, infertility, and loss. I then wove these stories into the umbilical cord. Light installation programmed to guide visitors’ breath in meditation.
The practice of conversation and its benefits, as a way of letting go of what weighs on us, especially within feminine circles, has historically been deemed ‘gossip,’ as unconfirmed knowledge. However, with the passage of time and the adoption of regulated conversation as a tool by the medical industry, the importance and strength of these spaces, of being heard, have become clear. Purple Placenta reclaims these conversations, offering a space for reflection and healing.
Photo by Sebastian Bach
Photos by David CortesText from Lilit written on the snake: I wake up every morning to swallow the moon, and every evening I birth her. Some days the moon slides through me heavy and wet, and some days she’s stuck, refusing to get out.I whisper — wane your guilt and suffering, come out to fight for waxing love in a messy world.