Graduate Studies

Interdisciplinary Master's in Art, Media and Design (MA, MDes and MFA)

Huda Salha

Process

Process

“Through the process of making, I explore the role of material culture in the evocation and representation of memory, and the way material objects and semantic narratives can act as agents to revive and preserve collective memory. The choice of material and process documentation elicits memories and enhances the interdisciplinarity of my studio-based research. It is integral to my thinking and reflects the complex process of memory and remembering. For instance, the process of bronze/ metal casting, from start to the finished object, is intertwined with the evolution of my thoughts. The lost wax process, in which wax is replaced by a sturdier material, is akin to the resurrection of those who have been lost. Despite the withering away of their bodies, they continue to live in memory. In every stage of the bronze casting process, and in the numerous and lengthy processes leading to the final object, there is a possibility of failure if one does not pay close attention to minute details and perform each step with meticulous care. With such painstaking work, my fear of possible failures increases. What if my objects do not survive and turn into a pile of unrecognized forms, wiping away the traces of memory? Likewise, collective memories are susceptible to failure. One must work extremely hard to perpetuate memories. One way is through both oral and object-based narratives, passing the stories from one generation to the next, and keeping the memory fresh by circulating it to as many audiences as possible. Much of what we know of the Nakba was transmitted through the telling of firsthand accounts and oral histories passed along through material artifacts.”