LET ME MEND YOUR BROKEN BONES

2024

The artwork portrays a delicate memorial to the loss of historical heritage sites in Palestine, continuing Awartani’s ongoing body of work documenting cultural destruction in the Arab world caused by war and colonialism. This iteration brings to light the devastating effects on UNESCO heritage sites as one of the consequences of the Gaza Genocide, which include the Great Omari Mosque, the Church of St. Porphyrius, Anthedon Harbour, and Hamam Al Samra. These ancient sites—some dating back to the Middle Ages, with Anthedon Harbour tracing its origins to the Iron Age—witnessed several empires such as the Byzantine, Mamluk, Ayyubid, and Ottoman empire. They have now been completely destroyed by Israeli Occupation Forces.

To create these pieces, Awartani studied documentation of the ruins, translating the devastation into silk panels with carefully darned tears that evoke the holes and rubble of these historic structures. The mending process reflects a yearning for a future where repair and restoration are possible. Awartani continues her collaboration with master artisans in Kerala, who dye the silk with medicinal herbs—materials that themselves bear witness to a regional history of colonialism. This work serves as a poetic, spiritual, and emotional attempt to address long-standing wounds, offering a meditative act of remembrance and repair.

Installation shot of Let Me Mend Your Broken Bones, 2024, Medicinally-dyed and hand-embroidered silk, installation, 261 cm x 290 cm (8 pieces, 129.65 cm x 70.2 cm each), Courtesy of the artist. Commissioned by Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana