FATMA AL ALI

Arabian Department

My investigation on the origins of the need for greenery in the region led me to an online archive containing documents related to agriculture in the Gulf region, exchanged between the UK government and their employees. The documents discussed introducing different fruits and vegetables in the region, and I discovered that the Empire replaced the native purple carrots with their own European variety, which they deemed to be far more superior, erasing an important part of the regions history. This prompted me to highlight the native importance of purple carrots in the region through a playful body of work. By focusing on the materiality of the purple carrot itself and extracting a pigment to use as ink, I created my own version of the selected documents, and replacing the original British imperial stamp with my own version of an imperial stamp featuring a carrot. Using this research, I created a series of artworks that highlight the subtle impact of colonialism on the environment and the loss of certain plant species. I also questioned the condescending tone of the archival documents and the presence of the Empire in the region, wondering about what other changes may have occurred over time.

Exploring these histories is crucial to understanding Gulf societies, traditions, practices, stories, and ways of thinking and challenging the misconception that the region lacks culture and history.