Mohammed Saleh
Urban Farm, 2019We lack self-sufficiency. The city relies on the farmers, yet there is no farmers in the city. Food comes from far far away. There is so much petroleum in our food. Neither the farmer nor the customer are in control of the food industry, but the middle man manipulates the market like a doll on strings. Farmers are leaving their professions and expertise, to do other skill-less jobs. Vast empty areas in the city are unutilized, abandoned, ugly and invite people and wind to dump garbage. Land is expensive…
Through a practice-based approach, Saleh continues to research how a small plot of land could become a profitable social business and a ground for self-sufficient families and communities. In collaboration with Al Rowwad Cultural and Arts Society, Saleh held a workshop with children to implement the project and setup the farm. Together they marked the beds, dug the ground, mixed compost, stretched irrigation, planted, harvested and maintained the plot. The project continues as Saleh researches into more efficient working systems, demands for crops and market prices for the urban farm.
Part of the Inaugural Residency curated by Emily Jacir
Supported by the A. M. Qattan Foundation through the “Visual Arts: A Flourishing Field” project funded by Sweden.