Desert as Method
Aseel AlYacoub
On September 16th, 2023, Aseel AlYacoub presented a workshop entitled "Desert As Method" as part of the Biennale Encounters program.
Drawing insights from historical records, cultural narratives, and the constructed environment, Aseel AlYacoub invited workshop participants to redefine preconceived notions about the desert. The workshop's primary aim was to introduce novel or often overlooked terminologies, while laying the groundwork for the inception of an archive.
Through shared exploration, interpretation, dialogue, and reflection, participants worked collaboratively to establish visual and textual connections that depict their perception of the desert. In the end, they developed fresh and expansive associations between ecology, spatiality, and community, opening up the landscape to new interpretations.
During the workshop, AlYacoub presented three methods of interpreting the desert: the desert as Image, the desert as Site, and the desert as Text. The participants were invited to explore different perceptions and portrayals of the landscape, from cinema to poetry to satellite images.
The following scans were collected by the artist at the end of the workshop. In these hand-written notes, the participants developed new connections and interpretations about the desert, thinking through the desert as Method.
