My yellow is yours, your red is mine
‚My yellow is yours, your red is mine‘ is a playful reflection on all traditions evolving around Nowruz, the celebration of the New Year and the most important holiday in Iran as well as in parts of Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, China, Georgia, Kurdistan and Pakistan.
Descending from Iranian and religious Zoroastrian origins it marks the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere usually around the 20th of march.
The title of the installation is deriving from Charshanbe Suri (Farsi: چارشنبه سوری – Čāršanbe Suri), a prelude celebrated on the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz. People are making bonfires in the streets and jump over them, as well as they set off fireworks and sparklers. Iranians sing the traditional poetic quote zardi ye man az to, sorkhi ye to az man wanting the fire to replace their pallor, sickness, and problems with the red color associated with warmth and energy.
Turning the cellar of Bob’s Pogo Bar with it’s red floor into a sparkling green welcoming room for spring, an excessive feast was prepared containing all those dishes that are only served on Nowruz. As Peter Kubelka detects the identity of a being in the way of using spices and herbs to cook the essence of their own worldview, my mother tongue to share is rather the iconic Sabzi Poli Mahi, Kuku Sabzi, Borani Esfanaj, Mast-o-Khiar (to name a few) than anything else.
The traditional table with an arrangement of the Seven S’s – Haft Seen – could not be missed, but was given a more intuitive approach reflecting on the symbols of rebirth, love, affluence, health, beauty, patience, and the color of sunrise.
As a tradition of giving away fruits and candy and under the concept of ‚radical hospitality‘ every participant of the evening was handed out a ceramic pomegranate, limited to the number of 30.
A CHANCE TO SING AND DANCE,
AND WONDER WHAT THE NEW WILL BRING