The Mother Tongue: Preparation by Jazgul Madazimova by Saodat Ismailova

The Mother Tongue by lumbung artist Saodat Ismailova was born out of a search for beings who are physically invisible but spiritually present in our lives. We connect to them through memories, emotions, the sense of smell, tactility, and intuition. We search for them through sounds. The sound of stories found in the clashes of the giant machine called industry, borders, politics, system.

This work explores their rhythm and how it dances through the stories of factory workers—the rhythm of survival, the rhythm between birth and death, the rhythm of loss, love and finding happiness in between. The key work in The Mother Tongue: Preparation is an audio collage created from stories and singing of factory workers during work. The artwork engages visitors by allowing them to sit, lay down, and spend time on 40 mattresses while listening to the audio. The mattresses will be laid out on the floor to evoke the presence of the 40 warrior girls, led by the daughter of a tribal ruler, who defend their land from invaders, according to a mythical tale.

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