FATMA AL ALI

Water was once here​

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Water was once here draws on the geological history of Green Arabia — a period ending approximately 5,000 years ago, when a wetter climate sustained rivers, lakes and vegetation across the Arabian Peninsula, enabling human migration across the region. Fatma Al Ali treats present-day rain paths as echoes of those ancient river systems, working with materials gathered from sites where water has recently flowed.

The surface of the sculpture is densely embossed with a pre-Arabic script, characters that dissolve into texture. Embedded within it is a text by the artist that connects childhood memories, connections to the land and her research into ancient riverways. Conceived as a monumental stamp, the sculpture carries impression and erasure. The work is a record of water traces that continue to quietly structure land, memory and movement long after its source has receded.

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